Satans fiery darts quenched, or, Temptations repelled in three decades : for the help, comfort, and preservation of weak Christians in these dangerous times of errour and seduction / by I.H. ... Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. 1647 Approx. 277 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 193 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45313 Wing H410A ESTC R34452 14444085 ocm 14444085 102348 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45313) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 102348) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1060:5) Satans fiery darts quenched, or, Temptations repelled in three decades : for the help, comfort, and preservation of weak Christians in these dangerous times of errour and seduction / by I.H. ... Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. [32], 352 p., [1] leaf of plate : port. Printed by M. F. for N. Butter ... London : 1647. Includes portrait frontispiece. Imperfect: pages stained and with print show-through. Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Temptation. Theology, Practical. 2005-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-12 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-11 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2006-11 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion VERA EFFIGIES-REVERENDI DO NI IOSEPHI HALL NORWICI EPIS COPI . This Picture represents the Forme , where dwells A Mind , which nothing but that Mind excells . There 's Wisdome , Learning , Witt ; there Grace & Love Rule over all the rest : enough to prove , Against the froward Conscience of this Time , The Reverend Name of BISHOP is no Crime . W. M. scul●●it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portrait of Joseph Hall SATANS FIERY DARTS QUENCHED , OR , TEMPTATIONS REPELLED . In three DECADES . For the help , comfort , and preservation of weak Christians in these dangerous times of Errour and Seduction . By I. H. D. D. B. N. LONDON , Printed by M. F. for N : Butter . And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the Bishops-head and Golden-Lyon , and in Corn-hill by N. Brooks . 1647. To the Christian Reader Grace and Peace . SOme few months are past , since a worthy and eminent Divine from the West ( once part of my charge ) earnestly moved mee to undertake this taske of Temptations , seconding his Letters with the lines of a deare intercessour from those parts ; Upon the first view , I sleighted the motion ; returning only this answer ; That I remembred this work , was already so compleatly performed by the reverend , and learned M r Downame , in his Christian warfare , as that who so should meddle with this subject , should but seem to gleane after his sickle : But when I had sadly considered the matter ; my second thoughts told me that there is no one point of Divinity , wherein many pens have not profitably laboured in severall formes of discourse : and that the course which I was solicited unto , was in a quite different way of Tractation ; namely , to furnish my fellow-Christians with short and punctuall answers to the particular suggestions of our great enemy ; and that our deplored age had rifely yeelded publicke Temptations of Impiety , which durst not looke forth into the world in those happy daies ; I was thereupon soon convinced in my selfe , how usefull and beneficiall such a Tractate might be to weak soules ; and embraced the motion as sent from God ; whose good hand I found sensibly with me in the pursuance of it ; I therefore cheerfully addressed my self to the work ; wherein what I have assaied or done , I humbly leave to the judgement of others ; with onely this ; that if in this Treatise my decrepit hand can have let fall any thing that may be to the service of Gods Church , to the raising up of drooping hearts , to the convincing of blasphemous errours , to the preventing of the dangerous insinuations of wickednesse , I desire to be thankfull to my good God , whose grace hath been pleased to improve those few sands that remaine in my glasse to so happy an advantage : That God , the father of all mercies fetch from these poor labours of his weake servant , much glory to his own name , and much benefit to the souls of his people . And may the same God be pleased to stir up the hearts of all his faithfull ones , that shall ( through his goodnesse ) receive any help by these wel-meant indeavours , to interchange their prayers with and for me , the unworthiest of his Ministers , that I may finish the small remainder of my course with joy . Amen . From my Cottage at Higham near Norwich , Feb. 12. 1646. A List of the hellish Temptations here Repelled . I. DECADE . I. Temptation FOolish sinner , thou leanest upon a broken reed whiles thou reposest all thy trust in a crucified Saviour . Pag. 1. II. Temptation Still thou hast upon all occasions recourse to the Scriptures as some divine Oracles , and think'st thou maist safely build thy soule upon every text of that written word , as inspired from heaven , whereas indeed this is nothing but an humane devise to keep men in awe , and never came nearer heaven then the braines of those Politicians that invented it . p. 17. III. Temptation Art thou so sottish to suffer thy understanding to be captivated to ( I know not what ) divine authority , proposing unto thee things contrary to sense and reason , and therfore absurd and impossible ? Be thou no other then thy self , a Man : and follow the light and guidance of that which makes thee so , right Reason , and whatsoever disagrees from that , turn it off as no part of thy beliefe , to those superstitious bigots which are willing to lose their reason in their faith , and to bury their braines in their heart . p 29. IV. Temptation In how vain and causelesse awe art thou held , of dangers threatned to thy soule ; and horrors of punishment after this life ; whereas these are nothing but politique bugs , to affright simple , and credulous men ? Sinne freely man ; and feare nothing ; Take full scope to thy pleasures ; After this life there is nothing ; The soule dies together with the body , as in brute creatures ; There is no further reckoning to bee made . p. 40. V. Temptation Put case that the soul after the departure from the body , may live ; but art thou so foolishly credulous , as to beleeve that thy body , after it is moldred into dust , and resolved into all its elements , having passed through all the degrees of putrefaction , and annihilation shall at last return to it selfe again , and recover the former shape and substance ? Dost thou not apprehend the impossibility of this so absurd assertion ? p. 54. VI. Temptation If the soule must live , and the body shall rise , yet what needst thou affright thy selfe with the terrors of an universall judgement ? Credulous soule , when shall these things be ? Thou talkst of an awfull Iudge , but where is the promise of his comming ? These sixteen hundred years hath he been look't and yet he is not come ; and when will he ? p. 69. VII . Temptation If there must be a resurrection , and a judgement , yet God is not so rigid an Exactor , as to call thee to account for every petty sin ; Th●se great Sessions are for haynous malefactors : God is too mercyfull to condemne thee for small offences : Be not thou too rigorous to thy self , in denying to thy selfe the pleasure of some harmlesse sinnes . p. 83. VIII . Temptation What a vaine imagination is this wherewith thou pleasest thy self ; that thy sins are discharged in another mans person ; that anothers righteousnesse should be thine ; that thine offence should be satisfied by anothers punishment . Tush , they abuse thee that perswade thee God is angry with mankind which he loves and favours ; or that his anger is appeased by the bloudy satisfaction of a Saviour ; and that thou standest acquitted in heaven by that which another hath done and suffered : These are fancies not fit to find place in the heads of wise men . p. 91. IX . Temptation How confidently thou buildest upon a promise ; and if thou have but a word for it , mak'st thy selfe sure of any blessing ; Whereas thou mayst know that many of those promises which thou accountest sacred and divine , have sbrunk in the performance . How hath God promised deliverance to those that trust in him , yet how many of his faithfull servants have mis-carried ? What liberall promises hath he made of provision for those that wait upon him ; yet how many of them have miserably perished in want ? p. 100. X. Temptation Thou art more nice then needs ; your Preachers are too strait-laced in their opinions ; and make the way to heaven narrower then God ever meant it : Tush , man ; thou maist be saved in any religion , Is it likely that God will be so cruell as to cast away all the world of men in the severall varieties of their professions ; and save onely one poor handfull of Reformed Christians ; Away with these scruples ; A generall Beliefe and a good meaning will serve to bring thee to heaven without these busie disquisitions of the Articles of faith . p. 114. II. DECADE . I. Temptation WEre it for some few sins of ignorance or infirmity , thou might'st hope to find place for mercy ; but thy sins are , as for multitude innumerable , so for quality , haynous . presumptuous , unpardonable ; With what face canst thou look up to heaven and expect remission from a just God ? p. 127. II. Temptation Alas poor man , how willing thou art to make thy self beleeve that thou hast truly repented ; whereas this is nothing , but some dump of melancholy , or some relenting of nature , after too much expence of spirits , or some irksome discontentment after a satiety , and wearinesse of pleasure ; or some slavish shrinking in upon the expectation of a lash ; True penitence is a spirituall businesse , an effect of that grace which was never incident into thy bosome . p. 138. III. Temptation Thou hast small reason to beare thy selfe upon thy repentance ; it is too sleight ; seconded with too many relapses ; too late to yeeld any true comfort to thy soule . p. 145. IV. Temptation Tush , what dost thou please thy selfe with these vaine thoughts ; If God cared for thee , couldst thou be thus miserable ? p 155. V. Temptation Foolish man ! how vainly dost thou flatter thy self in calling that a chastisement , which God intends for a judgment ; in mistaking that for a rod of fatherly correction which God lays on , as a scourge of just anger and punishment . p. 165. VI. Temptation Away with these superstitious feares , and needless scruples , wherewith thou fondly troublest thy selfe ; as if God that sits above in the circle of heaven ▪ regarded these poor businesses that are done upon earth , or cared what this man doth , or that man suffereth : Dost thou not see that none prosper so much in the world as those that are most noted for wickednesse ? & dost thou se any so miserable upon earth as the holiest ? Could it be thus , if there were a providence that over-looks and over-rules these earthly affairs ? p. 173. VII . Temptation If God be never so liberall in his promises , and sure in performances of mercy to his owne , yet what is that to thee ? Thou art none of his ; neither canst lay any just claim to his Election . p. 195. VIII . Temptation Alas , poor man , how grosly deludest thou thy selfe ? Thou talkest of thy faith ; and bearest thy selfe high upon this grace ; and think'st to doe great matters by it , whereas the truth is , thou hast no faith , but that which thou mis-callest so , is nothing else but meer presumption p. 208. IX . Temptation Thou thoughtst perhaps once that thou hadst some tokens of Gods favour ; but now thou canst not but find that he hath utterly forsaken thee ; and withdrawing himselfe from thee hath given thee up into my hands , into which thy sins have justly forfaited thee . p. 216. X. Temptation Had God indeed ever given thee any sure testimonies of his love , thou mightst perhaps pretend to some reason of comfort and confidence ; But the truth is , God never loved thee ; he may have cast upon thee ▪ some common favours , such as he throwes away upon reprobates ; but for the tokens of any speciall love that he beares to thee , thou never didst , never shalt receive any frō him p. 2●6 . III. DECADE . I. Temptation THou hast hitherto thus long given entertainment to thy sin , and no inconvenience hath ensued ; No evill hath befallen thee ; thy affaires have prospered better then thy scrupulous neighbours : Why shouldst thou shake off a companion that hath been both harmlesse and pleasant ? Go on man , sin fearlesly , thou shalt speed no worse then thou hast done . Go on , and thrive in thine old course , whiles some precisely conscientious beg and starve in their innocency . p. 237. II. Temptation Sin still ; thou shalt repent soon enough , when thou canst sin no more ; Thine old age , and death-bed are fit seasons for those sad thoughts ; It will go hard if thou canst not , at the last , have a mouthfull of breath left thee , to cry God mercy ; And that is no sooner askt , then had ; Thou hast to do with a God of mercies ; with whom no time is too late , no measure too sleight to be accepted . p. 246. III. Temptation . Thou art one of Gods chosen ; Now God sees no sin in his elect ; none therefore in thee ; neither maist thou then take notice of any sin in thy self ; or needest any repentance for thy sin . p. 256. IV. Temptation . Thou maist live as thou listest ; Thy destiny is irreversible ; If thou be predestined to life , thy sins cannot damne thee ; for Gods election remaineth certaine : If thou be ordained to damnation , all thy good endevours cannot save thee ; Please thy selfe on earth , thou canst not alter what is done in heaven . p. 271. V. Temptation Why wilt thou be singular amongst and above thy neighbours ; to draw needlesse censures upon thy self ? Be wise , and do as the most . Be not so over-squemish as not to dispense with thy conscience in some small matters ; Lend a lye to a friend , swallow an oath for feare , be drunke sometimes for good fellowship , ●alsify thy word for an advantage , serve the time , frame thy selfe to all companies ; thus shalt thou be both warme , and safe , and well respected . p. 284. VI. Temptation It is but for a while that thou hast to live ; and when thou art gone , all the world is gone with thee ; Improve thy life to the best contentment ; Take thy pleasure whiles thou maist . p. 297. VII . Temptation It is for common wits to walk in the plain road of opinions . If thou wouldst be eminent amongst men , leave the beaten track , and tread in new paths of thine owne : Neither let it content thee to guide thy steps by the dim lanterns of the Antient ; he he is no body that hath not new lights either to hold out , or follow . p. 306. VIII . Temptation Pretend religion , and doe any thing : what face is so foule as that Maske will not cleanly cover ? seem holy , and be what thou wilt . p. 315. IX . Temptation Why shouldst thou lose any thing of thy height ? Thou art not made of common mold ; neither art thou as others ; If thou knowst thy self , thou art more holy , more wise , better gifted , more inlightned then thy neighbours ; Justly therefore maist thou over look the vulgar of Christians , with pity , contempt , censure ; and beare thy selfe as too good for ordinary conversation , go apart , & avoid the contagion of common breath . p. 323. X. Temptation However the zeale of your scrupulous Preachers is wont to make the worst of every thing ; and to damne the least slip to no lesse then hell : Yet there are certaine favourable temperaments of circumstances , which may ( if not excuse , yet ) extenuate a fault , such as age , complexion , custome , profit , importunity , necessity , which are justly pleadable at the barre both of God , and the conscience , and are sufficient to rebate the edge of divine severity . p. 335. March the 14. 1646. I Have perused this Treatise , intituled , Satans fiery darts quenched ; in which I find so many excellent helps for the strengthning of the Christians faith , the repelling of Temptations , and the comforting of afflicted consciences in the day of triall , that I judge it well worthy to be printed and published . JOHN DOWNAME . TEMPTATIONS REPELLED . The first Decade . Temptations of Impiety . Satans fiery darts quenched . I. DECADE . I. TEMPTATION , Foolish sinner , thou leanest upon a broken reed whiles thou reposest all thy trust in a crucified Saviour , Repelled . BLasphemous Spirit ; It is not the ignominy of the Crosse that can blemish the honour of my Saviour ; Thou feelst to thy endlesse pain and regret , that he who would die upon the tree of shame hath triumph't victoriously over death , and all the powers of hell ; The greater his abasement was , the greater is the glory of his mercy : He that is the eternall God would put on man , that he might work mans redemption , and satisfie God for man ; Who but a man could suffer ? and who but a God could conquer by suffering ? It is man that had sinned ; it is God that was offended ; who but he that was God & man could reconcile God unto man ? He was crucified through weaknesse , yet he liveth ( and triumpheth ) in the power of his ( omnipotent ) God-head ; Neither was it so much weaknesse to yeeld unto death ; as it was power to vanquish it ; yea , in this very dying there was strength ; For here was no violence that could force him into his grave ; who should offer it ? I and the Father are one , saith that word of Truth ; and in Unity there can be no constraint ; And , if the persons be divers ; He thought it no robbery to be equall with God the Father ; and there is no authority over equals ; and for men or Devils , what could they do to the Lord of life ? I lay down my life , saith the Almighty redeemer , that I might take it again ; No man taketh it from me , but I lay it down of my self . I have power to lay it down , and I have power to ●●ke it againe ; Oh infinitenesse both of power and mercy met in the center of a willing death ! Impudent tempter , doest thou not remember thine owne language ? The time was , indeed , when thou couldst say , If thou be the Son of God ; but when thou foundest thy self quelled by that divine power , and saw'st those miraculous works fall from him which were only proper to an infinite God-head ; now thou wert forced to confesse , I know who thou art , even the holy one of God ; and againe , Jesus the Son of the most high God ; and yet againe , What have we to do with thee , Jesus the Son of God ? art thou come to torment us before the time ? Lo then , even in the time of his humane weakness , thou couldst with horrour enough acknowledge him the Sonne of the most high God , and dar'st thou now that he sits crowned with celestiall glory , disparage his ever-blessed Deity ? Thy malice hath raised up , as in the former , so in these later daies , certaine cursed imps of hereticall pravitie , who under the name of Christians , have wickedly re-crucified the Lord that bought them ; not sparing to call into question the eternall Deity of him whom they dare call Saviour ; whom if thou hadst not steeled with an hellish impudence , certainly , they could not professe to admit the word written , and yet the whiles , deny the personall Word : How clear testimony doth the one of them give to the other ? when thou presumedst to set upon the Son of God by thy personall temptations , he stopt thy mouth with a Scriptum est ; how much more shall these Pseudo-Christian agents of thine be thus convinced ? Surely , there is no truth , wherein those Oracles of God have beene more clear and punctuall ; Are we not there required to a beleeve in him as God , upon the promise of eternall life , b under the paine of everlasting condemnation ? Are we not commanded c to baptize in his name as God ? Is not the holy Ghost d given as a seale to that baptisme ? Are we not charged to give divine e honour to him ? Is not this required and reported to be done not only by the f Kings of the earth , but by the g Saints and Angels in heaven ? Is he not there declared to be h equall with God ? Is he not there asserted to be i one with the Father ? Doth he not there challenge a joynt k right with the Father in all things both in heaven , and earth ? Are not the great works of divine power attributed to him ? l Hath not he created the earth , and man upon it ? have not his hands stretched out the heavens ? hath not he commanded all their host ? Are not all the Attributes of God , his ? Is he not eternall ? Is it not he of whom the Psalmist , m Thy throne O God is for ever and ever ; the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter ? Is not he the n Father of eternity ; o the first and the last ; p have not his goings forth been from everlasting ? q Had not he glory with the Father before the world was ? Is not he the r Word which was in the beginning ; the word that was with God ; and the word that was God ? Is he not infinite and incomprehensible ? Is it not he that ſ filleth all things ; t that was in heaven , whiles he was on earth ? Is he not u Almighty ? even the x mighty God who upholds all things by the word of his power ▪ Yea , is he not expresly stiled ▪ the Lord , y Jehovah , The z Lord of hosts ; a God blessed for ever ; b The true God , and eternall life ; c The great God and Saviour ; d The Lord of glory ? Hath he not abundantly convinced the world of his Godhead , by those miraculous works which he did both in his owne person whiles he was here on earth , and by the hands of his followers ? works so transcending the possibility of nature , that they could not be wrought by any lesse then the God of nature ? as ejecting of Devils by command ; raising the dead after degrees of putrefaction ; giving eyes to the borne blind , conquering death in his own resuscitation , ascending gloriously into heaven ? charming the winds , and waters , healing diseases by the very shadow of his transient disciples ? Yea tell me , by what power was it that thine Oracles ( wherby all the world was held in superstition ) were silenced ? What-power whereby the Gospel so opposite to flesh and bloud hath conquered the world , and in spight of all the violence of Tyrants , and oppugnation of rebellious nature , hath prevailed ? Upon all these grounds how can I do lesse then cry our with the late-believing disciple , My Lord , and my God ? Malignant spirit , thou dost but set a face of checking me by my Saviours Crosse ; thou knowest and feel'st that he was the Chariot of his Triumph , whereupon being exalted , he dragged all the powers of hell captive after him , making a show of them openly , to their confusion , and his glory ; Thou knowst that had it not been for that Crosse , those infernall regions of thine had been peopled with whole mankind ; a great part whereof is now delivered out of thy hands , by that victorious redemption . Never had heaven been so stored ; never had hell been so foyled , if it had not been for that Crosse . And canst thou think to daunt me with the mention of that Crosse , which by the eternall decree of God was determined to be the means of the deliverance of all the soules of the elect ? Dost thou not hear the Prophet say of old ; He was cut off from the land of the living ; for the transgression of my people was he striken ; And , he made his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death . He hath poured out his soule unto death , and he was numbred with the transgressors ; and he ●ar● the sin of many ? Didst thou not hear my Saviour himself , after his glorious resurrection , checking Cleopas , and his fellow-traveller , for their ignorance of this predetermination ? O fools , and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken : Ought not Christ to have suffered these things , and to enter into his glory ? Yea lastly , when had my Saviour more glory then in this very act of his ignominious suffering , and crucifixion ? It is true , there hangs the Son of man despicably upon the tree of shame ; He is mocked , spit upon , buffered , scourged , nail'd , revil'd , dead : now have men and Devils done their worst ; But , this while , is the son of God acknowledged and magnified in his almighty power , both by earth and heaven ; The Sun for three hours hides his head in darknesse , as hating to behold this tort offered to his Creator ; the earth quakes to bear the weight of this suffering ; The rocks rend in peeces , the dead rise from their graves to see , and wonder at , and attend their late dying , and now risen Saviour ; The vayle of the Temple tears from the top to the bottome , for the blasphemous indignity offered to the God of the Temple ; And the Centurion upon sight of all this , is forced to say , Truly , this was the son of God. And now after all these irrefragable attestations , his Easter makes abundant amends for his passion ; There could not be so much weaknesse in dying , as there was power in rising from death ; His resurrection proves him the Lord of life and death , and shews that he died not out of necessity , but will ; since he that could shake off the grave , could with more ease have avoided death : Oh then the happy and glorious conquest of my blessed Saviour , declared to be the Son of God with power , according to the spirit of holinesse , by the resurrection from the dead ! Go now wicked spirit , and twit me with the Crosse of my Saviour ; That which thou objectest to me as my shame , is my onely glory ; God forbid that I should glory save in the Crosse of my Lord Jesus Christ ; whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world . II. TEMPTATION , Still thou hast ( upon all vocasions ) recourse to the Scriptures as some divine Oracles ; and think'st thou maist safely build thy soul upon every Text of that written word , as inspired from heaven , whereas indeed this is nothing but an humane devise to keep men in awe , and never came neerer heaven , then the brains of those Politicians that invented it , Repelled . WIcked Spirit ; when thou presumedst personally to tempt my Saviour ; and hadst that cursed mouth stopped by him , with an [ It is written ] thou daredst not then , to raise such a blasphemous suggestion against this word of truth : Successe in wickednesse hath made thee more impudent ; and now , thou art bold to strike despitefully at the very root of religion : But know , that after all thy malicious detractions , this word shall stand , when heaven and earth shall vanish ; and is that , whereby both thou , and all thy complices shall be judged at that great day : It is not more sure that there is a God , then that this God ought to be served and worshipped by the creature : Neither is it more sure that God is , then that he is most wise , most just , most holy ; This most wise just and holy God , then , requiring and expecting to be served , and worshipped by his Creature , must of necessity have imparted his will to his creature , how , and in what manner he would be served , and what he would have man to believe concerning himselfe , and his proceedings ; Else , man should be left to utter uncertainties , and there should be a failing of those ends , which the infinite wisdome , and justice , hath proposed to it selfe : There must be therefore some word of God , wherein he hath revealed himselfe to man ; and that this is , and must be acknowledged to be that onely word ▪ it is clear , and evident ; for that there neither was , nor is , nor can be any other word , that could , or durst stand in competition , or rivality with this word of the Eternall God : and , if any other have presumed to offer a contestation , it hath soone vanished into contempt , and shame ; Moreover , this is the only word , which God ownes for his ; under no lesse stile then [ Thus saith the Lord , ] which the son of God hath so acknowledged for the genuine word of his eternall Father , as that out of it ( as such ) he hath pleased to refell both thy suggestions , and the malicious arguments of his Iewish opposites . It drives wholly at the glory of God ; not sparing to disparage those very persons , whose pens are imployed in it ; in blazoning their owne infirmities in what they have offended ; which could not have been , if those pens had not been guided by an higher hand ; It discovers , and oppugnes the corruptions of nature , which to meer men are either hid ; or , if revealed , are cherished , and upheld ; it laies forth the misery , and danger of our estate under sin ; and the remedies , and means of our deliverance , which no other word hath ever pretended to undertake . Besides , that there is such a Majesty in the stile wherein it is written , as is unimitable by any humane author whatsoever ; the matter of it is wholly divine ; ayming altogether at purity of worship , and integrity of life ; not admitting of any the least mixture either of Idolatry & superstition , or of any plausible enormities of life ; but unpartially laying forth Gods judgements against these , and whatever other wickednesses . This word reveals those things which never could be known to the world by any humane skill or industry ; as the Creation of the world , and the order and degrees of it ; and the course of Gods administration of it , from the beginning ; thousands of years before any records of history were extant ; As it was onely the Spirit of the most high God in Daniel that could fetch back and give an account of a vision fore-passed ; All the Soothsayers and Magicians confesse this a work of no lesse then divine omniscience . And as for things future , the predictions of this word of things to be done after many hundreds , yea some thousands of years ( the events having then no pre-existence in their causes ) being accordingly accomplished , show it to proceed from an absolute unfailing , and therefore infinite prescience . And whereas there are two parts of this word ; The Law , and the Gospel : The Law is more exact then humane braines can reach unto ; meeting with those aberrations , which the most wise and curious Law-givers could not give order for ; extending it selfe to those very thoughts which nature knows not to accuse , or restrain ; The Gospel is made good , as by the signes and wonders wrought in all the primitive ages ; so by the powerfull operation that it hath upon the soul ; such , as the word of the most prudent man on earth , or of the greatest Angel in heaven should in vain hope to parallel : And whereas the pen-men of both these , were Prophets , and Apostles ; The Prophets are sufficiently attested by the Apostles , to be men holy , & inspired by the Holy Ghost ; the Apostles are abundantly attested by the Holy ghost powred out upon them in their Pentecost , & ( besides variety of tongues ) enabling them to do such miraculous works , as astonished , & convinced their very enemies . To these may be added the perfect harmony of the Law , & the Gospel ; the Law being a prefigured gospel , & the gospel a law consummate ; both of them lively setting forth Christ the redeemer of the world , both future & exhibited . Neither is it lightly to be esteemed , that this word hath been by holy men in all ages received as of sacred and divine authority ; men , whose lives and deaths have approved them eminent Saints of God ; who have not only professed , but sealed with their bloud , this truth which they had learned from him that was rapt into the third heaven , That all Scripture is given by inspiration of God ; a truth which cannot but be contested by their own hearts , which have sensibly found the power of this word , convincing them of sin ; working effectually in them a lively faith , and unfaigned conversion ; which no humane means could ever have effected . Lastly , it is a strong evidence to my soule , that this is no other then the word of a God ; that I find it so eagerly opposed by thee , and all thy malignant instruments in all ages ; Philosophers both naturall , and morall , and politique , have left large Volumes behind them in their severall professions , all which are suffered to live in peace ; and to enjoy their opinions with freedome , and leave ; but , so soon as ever this sacred book of God looks forth into the world , hell is in an uproar , and raises all the forces of malice , and wit , and violence against it ; Wherefore would it be thus , if there were not some more divine thing in these holy leaves , then in all the monuments of learned humanity : But the protection is yet more convictive then the opposition , that not withstanding all the machinations of the powers of darknesse this word is preserved intire ; that the simplicity of it , prevails against all worldly policy ; that the power of it subdues all nations , and triumphs over all the wickednesse of men and devils ; it is proof enough to me that the God of heaven is both the author , and owner and giver of it : Shortly then , Let my soul be built upon this rocky foundation of the Prophets and Apostles ; Let thy storms rise , and thy flouds come , and thy winds blow , and beat upon it ; it shall mock at thy fury , and shall stand firme against all the rage of hell . III. TEMPTATION , Art thou so sottish to suffer thy understanding to be captivated to ( I know not what ) divine authority , proposing unto thee things contrary to sense and reason ; and therefore absurd , and impossible ? Be thou no other then thy self , a man ; and follow the light and guidance of that which makes thee so , right Reason ; and what soever disagrees from that , turn it off as no part of thy beliefe , to those superstitious bigots which are willing to lose their reason in their faith , and to bury their brains in their heart , Repelled . WIcked tempter , thou wishest me to my losse ; wo were to me if I were but a man ; and if I had no better guide to follow , then that which thou call'st Reason ; it is from nature that I am a man ; it is from grace that I am a man regenerate ; Nature holds forth to me as a man , the dim and weak rush-candle-light of carnall reason ; The grace of regeneration shows me the bright torch-light , yea , the sun of divine illumination ; Thou bid'st me , as a man , to follow the light of reason ; God bids me as a regenerate man to follow the light of faith ; whether should I beleeve , whether should I listen to ? It is true , that reason is the great gift of my Creator , and that which was intended to distinguish us from brute creatures ; but where is it in the originall purity to be found under heaven ? Surely it can now appear to us in no other shape then either as corrupted by thy depravation , or by Gods renovating grace restored ; as it is marred by thee , even naturall truths are too high for it ; as it is renued by God , it can apprehend and imbrace supernaturall verities : It is regenerate reason that I shall ever follow ; and that will teach me to subscribe to all those truths , which the un-erring Spirit of the holy God hath revealed in his sacred word ; how ever contrary to the ratiocination of flesh , and bloud ; Onely this is the right reason , which is illuminated by Gods spirit , and willingly subjected to faith ; which represents to me those things , which thou suggestest to me for unreasonable and impossible , as not faisible only , but most certain . That in one Deity there are three most glorious persons ; distinguished in their subsistences ; not divided in their substance ; That in one person of Christ the Mediator , there are two natures , divine and humane , not converted into each other ; not confounded each with other ; That the Creator of all things should become a creature ; That a creature should be the mother of him that is her God ; how ever they be points which carnall reason can not put over , yet they are such , as reason illuminate and regenerate can both easily , and most comfortably digest : Great is the mystery of godlinesse ; God manifested in the flesh : What mystery were there in godlinesse , if the deepest secrets of religion did lie open to the common apprehension of nature ? My Saviour , who is truth it self , hath told me , that no man knoweth the Father , but the Son , and he to whom the Son will reveal him ; and with the same breath gives thanks to his heavenly Father , that he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent ( who were most likely , if reason might be the meet judge of spirituall matters , to attaine the perfect knowledge of them ) & hath revealed them to babes . It is therefore Gods revelation , not the ratiocination of man that must give us light into these divine mysteries . Were it a matter of humane disquisition , why did not those sages of nature , the learned Philosophers of former times , reach unto it ? But now a more learned man then they , the great Doctor of the Gentiles , tels us , that the Gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ yeelds forth the revelation of the mysteries , which was kept secret since the world began ; But now manifested by the Scriptures of the Prophets , and , according to the commandement of the everlasting God , made known to all nations , for the obedience of faith ; Lo , he saith not to the obedience of reason , but of faith ; and that faith doth more transcend reason , then reason doth sense , Thou urgest me therefore to be a man ; I professe my self to be a christian man ; it is reason that makes me a man , it is faith that makes me a christian ; The wise & bountifull God hath vouchsafed to hold forth four severall lights to men ; all which move in four severall orbes , one above another ; The light of sense , the light of reason , the light of faith , the light of ecstaticall , or divine vision ; and all of these are taken up with their own proper objects : Sense is busied about these outward and materiall things ; reason is confined to things intelligible ; faith is imployed in matters spirituall and supernaturall ; divine vision in objects celestiall , and infinitely glorious ; None of these can exceed their bounds , and extend to a sphere above their owne ; What can the brute creature , which is led by meer sense , do , or apprehend in matters of understanding and discourse ? What can meer man who is led by reason , discerne in spirituall and supernaturall things ? What can the Christian , who is led by faith , which is the evidence of things not seen attain unto in the clear vision of God , and heavenly glory ? That God , who is a God of order , hath determined due limits to all our powers , and faculties : Thou that art a spirit of confusion goest about to disturb , and disorder all those just ranks ; labouring to jumble together those distinct orbes of reason , and faith ; and by the light of reason , to extinguish the light of faith ; & wouldst have us so to put on the man , as that we should put off the Christian ; but I have learned in this case to defie thee ; grounding my self upon that word , which is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ; casting downe imaginations , and every high thing , that exalts it selfe against the knowledge of God , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ; I will therefore follow my sense so far as that will lead me ; and not suffer my self to be beaten off from so sure a guide ; Where my sense leaves me , I will betake my self to the direction of reason , and in all naturall & morall things , shall be willingly led by the guidance thereof ; but when it comes to supernaturall and divine truths ; when I have the word of a God , for my assurance , farewell reason , and welcome faith ; as when I shall have dispatcht this weary pilgrimage , and from a Traveller shall come to be a Comprehensor , farewel faith , & welcome vision . In the mean time I shall labour what I may to understand all revealed truths ; and where I cannot apprehend , I shall adore ; humbly submitting to that word of the great and holy God ; My thoughts are not your thoughts ; neither are your ways my ways , saith the Lord ; For as the heavens are higher then the earth , so are my wayes higher then your wayes , and my thoughts , then your thoughts . IIII. TEMPTATION In how vaine and causelesse awe art thou held , of dangers threatned to thy soule ; and horrors of punishment after this life ; whereas these are nothing but politique bugs , to affright simple , and credulous men ? Sin freely , man ; and feare nothing ; Take full scope to thy pleasures ; After this life there is nothing ; The soule dyes together with the body , as in brute creatures ; There is no further reckoning to be made Repelled . DEceitfull spirit ; How thou goest about to perswade me to that , which thy selfe would be most loathe should be true ? for if the soule of man expired with the body , what subject shouldest thou have of that tyranny , and torment which thou so much affectest ? How willingly dost thou seem to fight against thy selfe , that thou mighrest overcome me ? But this dart of thine is too blunt to pierce even a rationall brest ; Why dost thou not go about to perswade me that I am not a man , but a brute creature ? such I should be , if my soul were no other then theirs ; For as for bodily shape , there are of them not much unlike me : Why dost thou not perswade me , that those brute creatures are men ; if their soules were as ours ; What were the difference ? Canst thou hope I can so abdicate my self , as to put my selfe into the ranke of beasts ? Canst thou think so to prevaile with thy suggestions , as to make reason it selfe turne irrationall ? How palpably dost thou confound thy selfe in this very act of Temptation ? For , if I had not a soul beyond the condition of brute creatures , how am I capable of sinning ? Why dost thou perswade me to that whereof my nature ( if but brutish ) can have no capacity ? Dost thou labour to prevaile with thy temptations upon beasts ? Dost thou importune their yeildance to sinfull motions ? If they had such a soul as mine , why should they not sin , as well as I ? why should they not be equally guilty ? Contrarily , are those brute things capable of doing those works which may be pleasing unto God ; the performāce whereof thou so much envyest unto me ? Can they desire and indeavour to be holy ? are they capable of making conscience of their waies ? Know then , O thou wicked spirit , that I know my selfe animated with another , and more noble spirity , then these other materiall creatures ; and that I am sufficiently conscious of my own powers ; that I have an inmate in my bosome of a divine originall ; W ch , though it takes part with the body , whiles it is included in this case of clay ; yet , can and will ( when it is freed from this earth ) subsist alone , and be eternally happy in the present , and perpetuall vision of the God that made and redeem'd it : and in the meane time exerciseth such faculties , as well shew whence it is derived ; & farre transcend the possibility of all bodily temperament ? Can it not compare one thing with another ? Can it not deduce one sequel from another ? Can it not attaine to the knowledg of the secrets of nature , of the perfection of Arts ? Can it not reach to the scanning of humane plots ; and the apprehension of divine mysteries ? Yea , can it not judge of spirits ? how should it doe althis , if it were not a spirit ? How evidently then doth the present estate of my soul convince thee of the future ? Al operations proceed from the formes of things ; and every thing works as it is ; Canst thou now denye , that my soule whiles it is within me , can , and doth produce such actions , as have no derivation from the body , no dependence on the body ? for however in matter of sensation , it sees by the eyes , and heares by the eares , and imagines by those fantasmes that are represented unto it ; yet when it comes to the higher works of intellectuall elevations , how doth it leave the body below it ? raising to it selfe such notions , as wherein the body can challenge no interest ? how can it now denude and abstract the thing conceived from all consideration of quantity , quality , place ; and so work upon its owne object , as becomes an active spirit ? Thou canst not be so impudent , as to say the body doth these things by the soule ; or that the soule doth them by the ayd & concurrence of the body ; and if the soule doth them alone , whiles it is thus clogged ; how much more operative shall it be when it is alone separated from this earthen lump ? And if the very voice of nature did not so sufficiently confute thee , that even thine owne most eminent heathens have herein taken part against thee , living and dying strong assertors of the soules Immortality ; how fully might thine accursed mouth be stopped by the most sure words of divine truth ? Yea , wert thou disposed to play at some smaller game , and by thy damnable clients to plead , not so much for the utter extinction , as for the dormition of the soule , those oracles of God have enough to charme thee , and them ; and can with one blow cut the throat of both those blasphemies : That penitent theefe , whose soule thou madest full account of , when he was led to his execution , ( which yet my dying Saviour snatcht out of thy hands ) could hear comfortably from those blessed lips , This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise : shal we think this malefactor in any other , in any better conditiō then the rest of Gods Saints ? Doth not the chosen vessel tel us , that upon the dissolution of our earthly house ▪ of this Tabernacle , we have a building of God not made with hands eternal in the heavens ? Presently therfore after our flitting hence , we have a being , & that glorious ; who can think of a being in heaven without a ful sense of joy ? Doth not our Saviour tell us , that the soul of poor Lazarus was immediately carried by Angels into Abrahams boome ? The damned glutton knew so wel that he was not layd there to sleep , that he sues to have him sēt on the message of his refrigeration : Did not the beloved disciple , when he was in Pathmos , upon the opening of the fifth feale , see under the altar the Soules of them that were slaine for the word of God , and for the testimony which they held ? Did he not heare them cry , How long Lord , holy ▪ and true ? What ? Shall wee think they cryed in their sleep ? Did he not see and heare the hundred forty four thousand Saints , before the throne , harping , and singing a new song to the praise of their God ? Canst thou perswade us they made this heavenly musick in their sleep ? Doth he not tell us most plainely from the mouth of one of the heavenly Elders , that those which stood before the throne & the Lamb , cloathed with white robes , and palmes in their hands , were they that came out of great tribulation , and have washed their robes , and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ; therefore are they before the throne of God , and serve him day and night in his Temple ; and he that sitteth on the throne shal dwell among them ; They shall hunger no more , neither thirst any more ; neither shall the Sun light on them , nor any heat ; For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne , shall feed them , and shall lead them unto living fountaines , and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes ; This service both day and night , and 〈◊〉 leading forth can suppose nothing lesse then a perpetuall waking ; Neither is this the happy condition of holy Martyrs and Confessors only ; but is common to all the Saints of God , in what ever profession ; Blessed are the dead , which dye in the Lord ; How should the dead be blessed , if they did not live to know themselves blessed ? What blessednesse can be incident into those that either are not at all , or are senselesse ? They rest , but sleepe not ; they rest from their labours , not from the improvement of their glorified faculties : Their works followthē : yea and overtake them , in heaven ; to what purpose should their works follow the if they lived not to injoy the comfort of their works ? This is the estate of all good soules , in despight of all thine infernall powers ; and what becomes of the wicked ones , thou too well knowest ; Dissemble thou how thou wilt those torments ; and hide the sight of that pit of horrour from the eyes ofthy sinfull followers ; He that hath the keyes of hell and of death hath given us intimation enough ; Feare not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soule ; but rather feare him , who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell : Neither is he more able out of his omnipotence , then willing out of his justice , to execute this righteous vengeance on the impenitent , and unbeleevers ; Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evill . In vaine therefore dost thou seek to delude me with these pretences of indemnity , and annihilation ; since it cannot but stand with the mercy , and justice of the Almighty , to dispose of every soule according to what they have beene , and what they have done ; To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality , eternall life ; But unto them that are contentious , and doe not obey the truth , but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath : shortly , after all thy devillish suggestions , on the one part , The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God , and there shall no torment touch them : On the other , In flaming fire shal vengeance be taken on them that know not God , and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ : who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of his power . V. TEMPTATION Put case that the soule after the departure from the body may live ; but art thou so foolishly credulous , as to beleeve that thy body , after it is moldred into dust , and resolved into all its elements , having passed through al the degrees of putrefaction , and annihilation , shall at last returne to it selfe againe , and recover the former shape and substance ? Dost thou not apprehend the impossibility of this so absurd assertion ? Repelled . NO , Tempter , it is true and holy faith , which thou reproachest for fond credulity : Had I to doe with no greater power then thine , or then any Angels in heaven , that is , meerely finite ; I might well be censured for too light beleefe in giving my assent to so difficult a truth : but now that I have to doe with omnipotence ; it is no lesse then blasphemie in thee , to talk of impossibility : Doe not thy very Mahumetan vassals tell thee , that the same power which made man , can as well restore him ? and canst thou be other then apposed with the question of that Jew , who asked whether it were more possible to make a mans body of water , or of earth ? All things are alike easie to an infinite power . It is true , The resuscitation of the body from its dust is a supernaturall work ; yet such as whereof God hath beene pleased to give us many images , and prefigurations even in nature it selfe ; In the face of the earth , doe we not see the image of death in winter season ; and in the spring of a cheerfull resurrection ? Is not the life of all herbs , flowers , trees buried in the earth , during that whole dead season ? and doth it not rise up againe with the approching Sun , into stemmes and branches ; and send forth blossomes , leaves , fruits , in all beautifull variety ? What need we any other then the Apostles instance ; Thou foole , that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die : And that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body that shall be , but bare graine ; it may chance of wheat , or of some other graine ; but God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him , and to every seed his own body ; Lo , it must be rottenesse and corruption that must make way for a flourishing increase : If I should come to a man that is ignorant of these fruitfull productions of the earth ; and shewing him a little naked grayne should tell him ; This which thou seest shall rot in the ground ; and after that , shall rise up a yard high , into divers stalkes , and every stalk shall beare an eare ; and every eare shall yeild twenty or thirty such graines as it selfe is ; or shewing him an akorne , should say ; this shal be buried in the earth , and after that , shall rise up twenty or thirty foot high ; and shall spread so far , as to give comfortable shade to an hundred persons ; Surely , I should not win beleefe from him ; yet our experience daily makes good these ordinary proofes of the wonderful providence of the Almighty ? Or should I shew a man that is unacquainted with these great marvells of nature , the small seed of the Silk-worme , lying scattered upon a paper , and seemingly dead , all winter long ; and should tell him , these little atomes , so soon as the mulberry tree puts forth , will yeild a worme ; which shall work it selfe into so rich a house , as the great Princes of the earth shall be glad to shelter themselvs with & after that , shall turn to a large flye ; and in that shape , shall live to generate , & then speedily die ; I should seem to tell incredible things , yet this is so familiar to the experiēced that they cease t owōder at it . If from these vegetables we shall cast our eyes upon some sensitive creatures ; Do we not see snayles , and flyes , & some birds lye as senslesse , and livelesse all the winter time , & yet , when the spring comes , they recover their wonted vivacity ? Besides these resemblances , have we not many clear instances and examples of our resurrection ? Did not the touch of Elishaes bones raise up the partner of his grave ? Was not Lazarus called up out of his sepulcher after four daies possess●ion ; and many noysome degrees of rottenesse ? Were not the graves opened of many bodies of the Saints , W ch slept ? Did not they arise , and come out of their graves , after my Saviours resurrection , and go into the holy city , and appeare unto many ? Besides examples , have we not an all sufficient pledg of our certaine rising againe , in the victorious refurrection of the Lord of life ? Is not he our head ? Are not we his members ? Is not he the first fruits of them that slept ? Did not he conquer death for us ? Can the head be alive and glorious , whiles the limmes doe utterly perish in a finall corruption ? Certainely then , if we beleeve that Iesus dyed & rose again ; even so them also which sleep in Iesus , wil God bring with him . And if there were no more , that one argument wherewith my Saviour of old confounded thy Sadduces lives still to confound thee , God is the God of Abraham , and the God of Isaac , and the God of Jacob ; But God is not the God of the dead , but of the living : The soule alone is not Abraham ; whole Abraham lives not if the body were not to be joyned to that soule . Neither is it onely certain that the resurrection will be ; but also necessary that it must be : neither can the contrary consist with the infinite wisdome , goodnesse , justice , mercy of the Almighty : For , first , how can it stand with the infinite goodnesse of the all-wise God , that the creature which he esteemes dearest , and loves best , should be the most miserable of all other ? man is doubtlesse the best piece of his earthly workmanship ; holy men are the best of men ; Were there no resurrection , surely no creature under heaven were so miserable as the holiest man : The basest of brute creatures find a kind of contentment in their being , and ( were it not for the tyranny of man ) would live and dye at ease ; And others of them in what jollity and pleasure do they wear out their time ? As for wicked men who let the reynes loose to their licentious appetite , how doe they place their heaven here below , and glory in this that they are yet somewhere happy ? But for the mortifyed christian , were it not for the comfort and amends of a resurrection , who can expresse the miserie of his condition ? He beates down his body in the willing exercises of sharp austerity ; and ( as he would use some sturdy slave ) keeps it under , holding short the appetite ( oftentimes ) even from lawfull desires ; so as his whole life is little other then a perpetuall penance ; And as for his measure from others , how open doth he ly to the indignities , oppressions , persecutions of men ? how is he trampled upon , by scornful malignity ; how is he reputed the off-scouring of the world ? how is he made a gazing stock of reproch to the world , to Angels , and to men ? Did there not therefore abide for them the recompence of a better estate in another world , the earth could afford no match to them in perfect wretchednesse : which how far it abhorreth from that goodnesse which made all the world for his elect , and so loves them , that he gave his owne Son for their redemption , let any enemy besides thine accursed selfe , judge : How can it stand with the infinite justice of God ( who dispenseth due rewards to good and evill ) to retribute them by halves ? The wages of sin is death , the gift of God is eternall life ; both these are given to the man not to the soule ; The body is copartner in the sin , it must therefore share in the torment ; it must therefore be raysed that it may be punished ; Eternity of joy or paine , is awarded to the just , or to the sinner ; how can the body be capable of either if it should finally perish in the dust ? How can it stand with the infinite mercy of God , who hath given his Sonne intirely for the ransome of the whole man , and by him salvation to every beleever , that he should shrink in his gracious performances , making good onely one part of his eternall word to the spirituall halfe , leaving the bodily part utterly forlorne to an absolute corruption ? Know then , O thou wicked one , that when all the rabble of thine Athenian scoffers , and Atheous Sadduces , and carnall Epicureans shall have mis-spent all their spleene , my faith shall triumph over all their sensuall reason , and shall afford me sound comfort against all the terrors of death frō the firme assurance of my resurrection ; and shall confidently take up those precious words , which the mirror of patience wished to be written in a book , and graven with an iron pen in the rock for ever ; I know that my Redeemer liveth , and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth : and though after my skin worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall I see God : and my soule shall set up her rest in that triumphant conclusion of the blessed Apostle , This corruptible must put on incorruption ; and this mortall must put on immortality ; So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption , and this mortall shall have put on immortality , then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written , Death is swallowed up in victory ? O death where is thy sting ? O grave , where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; the strength of sin is the Law ; But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory , through our Lord Jesus Christ . VI. TEMPTATION If the soule must live ; and the body shall rise : yet what needest thou to affright thy selfe with the terrours of an universall judgement ? Credulous soule , when shall these things be ? Thou talkest of an awfull Judge : but where is the promise of his comming ? These sixteene hundred yeares hath he beene lookt for : and yet he is not come , and when will he ? Repelled . THy damned scoffers were betimes foreseene to move this question , even by that blessed Apostle , whose eyes saw his Saviour ascending up to his glory , and who then heard the Angell say , Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus , which is taken up from you into heaven , shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven . What dost thou and they but make good that sacred truth , which was delivered before so many hundred generations ? Dissemble how thou wilt , That there shall be a generall assise of the world , thou knowest , and tremblest to know : what other couldst thou meane , when thou askedst my Saviour that question of horror , Art thou come to torment us before the time ? That time thou knowest to be the day , in which God will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance to all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead ; How clear attestation have the inspired Prophets of God given of old to this truth ? The ancientest Prophet that ever was , Henoch the seventh from Adam , in the time of the old world , foretels of this dreadful day ; Behold , the Lord commeth , with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all ; and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds , which they have ungodly committed ; and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him ; From the old world is this verity deduced to the new , and through the succession of those holy Seers derived to the blessed Apostles ; and from them to the present generation ; Yea , the sacred mouth of him , who shall come down , and sit as Judge in this awfull tribunall , hath fully laid forth not the truth onely , but the manner of this universall judicature ; The Sonne of man shall come in his glory , and all the holy Angels with him ; Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; And before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one from another , as a shepheard divideth his sheep : And if this most sure word of the Prophets , Apostles , yea , and of the eternall son of God be not enough conviction to thee ; yet to my soul they are an abundant confirmation of this main point of my Christian faith , that from heaven he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead ; Indeed , thus it must be : How many condemned innocents have in the bitternesse of their souls , appealed from that unrighteous bar of men , to the supreame Judge , that shall come ; those appeals are entred in heaven and sued out ; how can it stand with divine Justice that they should not have a day of hearing ? As for mean oppressors , there are good laws to meet with them ; and there are higher then the highest to give life of execution to those lawes ; but if the greatest among men offend , if there were not an higher then they , what right would at last be done ? Those that have the most power and will to doe the greatest mischiefe , would escape the fairest : And though there be a privy Sessions in heaven upon every guilty soule , immediatly upon the dissolution ; yet the same justice , which will not admit publique offences to be passed over with a private satisfaction , thinks fit to exhibite a publique declaration of his righteous vengeance upon notorious sinners , before men and Angels : So as those very bodies which have been ingaged in their wickednesse , shall be in the view of the whole world , sent downe to take part of their torment ; and indeed wherefore should those bodies be raised , if not with the intent of a further disposition either to joy , or paine ? Contrarily , how can it consist with the praise of that infinite justice , that those poore Saints of his , which have been vilified and condemned at every barre : persecuted , afflicted , tormented , and have passed through all manner of painful & ignominious deaths , should not at the last be gloriously righted in the face of their cruell enemies ? Surely , faith the Apostle , it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you ; and to you who are troubled rest with us , when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels . What is it , O thou wicked spirit , whereto thou art reserved in chaines of darknesse ? Is it not the judgement of the great day ? what is it whereto the manifestation of all hidden truthes , and the accomplishment of all Gods gracious promises are referred ? Is it not the great day of the Lord ? shall the all-wise and righteous Arbiter of the world decree , and reverse ? Hath he not from eternity determined , and set this day ; Wherein we must all appear before the judgment Seat of Christ , that every one may receive the things done in his body ; according to that he hath done , whether it be good , or evill ? That there is therefore such a day of the Lord ; in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noyse , and the Elements shall melt with fervent heate , the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up ; wherein the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the Archangel , and with the trump of God , is no lesse certaine then that there is an heaven from whence he shall descend . All thy cavill is concerning the time ; Thou , and thine are ready to say , with the evill servant in the Gospell , my Master defers his comming ; And was not this wicked suggestion of thine foretold many hundred yeares agoe , by the prime Apostle , and by the same pen answered ? Hath he not told thee that our computations of time are nothing to the infinite ? That one day with the Lord , is as a thousand yeares , and a thousand yeares as one day ? Hath he not told us , that this mis-construed slacknesse is in mans vaine opinion , not in Gods performance ? He is slack to man that coms not when he is lookt for , he is really slack that comes not when he hath appointed to come ; Had the Lord broken the day which he hath set in his everlasting counsel , thou mightst have some pretence to cavill at his delay ; but now that he onely overstayes the time of our misgrounded expectation , ●he doth not slacken his pace , but correct our errour : It is true , that Christians began to look for their Saviour betimes ; insomuch , as the blessed Apostles were fayne to perswade their eyes not to make such haste ; putting them in mind of those great occurrences of remarkable change , that must befall the Church of God ( in a generall apostasie , & the revelation of the great Antichrist ) before that great day of his appearance . And the prime Apostle sends them to the last dayes ( which are ours ) for those scoffers , which shall say , Where is the promise of his comming ? If they lookt for him too soon , we cannot expect him too late ; He that is Amen , will be sure to be within his owne time ; when that comes , he that should come will come , and not tarry : In the meane while , not onely in the just observation of his owne eternall decree , but in much mercy , doth he prolong his returne , mercy to his elect , whose conversion he waits for , with infinite patience ; it is for their sake that the world stands ; The Angel that was sent to destroy Sodom could tell Lot , that he could doe nothing till that righteous man were removed ; no sooner was Lot entred into Zoar , then Sodome is on a flame : mercy , even to the wicked , that they may have ample leisure of repentance ; Neither is it any small respect that the wise and holy God hath to the exercise of the faith , and hope , and patience of his deare servants upon earth ; faith in his promises , hope of his performances , and patience under his delayes ; whereof there could be no use in a speedy retribution . In vaine therefore dost thou , who fearest this glorious Judge will come too soone , go about to perswade me , that he will not come at all : I beleeve , and know , by all the foregoing signes of his appearance that he is now even at the threshold ; Lo , he commeth , he commeth for the consummation of thy torment , and my joy ; I expect him as my Saviour , tremble thou at him as thy Judge , who shall fully repay to thee al those blasphemies which thine accursed mouth hath dared to utter against him . VII . TEMPTATION If there must be a resurrection and a judgment ; yet God is not so rigid an exactor , as to call thee to account for every petty sin ; those great Sessions are for hainous malefactors ; God is too mercifull to condemn thee for small offences ; be not thou too rigorous to thy self in denying to thy selfe the pleasure of some harmelesse sinnes . Repelled . FAlse tempter ; there is not the least of those harmelesse sinnes , which thou wilt not be ready to aggravate against me , one day , before the dreadfull tribunall of that infinite justice : those that are now small , will be then hainous ; and hardly capable of remission : thy suggestions are no meet measures of the degrees of sin : It is true that there are some sinnes more grievous then others ; there are faults , there are crimes , there are flagitious wickednesses ; If some offences be foule , others are horrible , and some others irremissible ; but that holy God , against whose onely majesty sin can be committed , hath taught me to call no sin , small : The violation of that Law which is the rule of good , cannot but be evill ; and betwixt good and evill there can be no lesse then an in finite disproportion : It is no smal proofe of thy cunning , that thou hast suborned some of thy religious panders to proclaime some sinnes veniall , and such , as , in their very nature , merit pardon : Neither thou , nor they , shall be Casuists for me , who have heard my God say ; Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them . Sin must be greater , or lesse according to the value of the command , against which it is committed ; there is , ( as my Saviour hath rated it ) a least Commandement ; and there are mo points then one in that least Command ; now the Spirit of truth hath told me , that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law , and yet offend in one point , he is guilty of all ; And shall he that is guilty of the breach of the whole Law escape with such ease ? I am sure a greater Saint then I can ever hope to be , hath said , If I sin , thou markest me , and wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity ; and , old Eli , as indulgent as he was to his wicked sonnes , could tell them ; If one man sin against another , the Judge shall judg him ; but if a man sin against the Lord , who shall intreat for him ? What need is there , thou sayest , of any intreaty ? Gods mercy is such that he will pardon thy sinnes unasked ; neither will he ever stick at small faults ; Malignant spirit , how fain wouldst thou have Gods mercy , and justice clash together ? but thou shalt as soon wind thy selfe out of the power of that justice , and put thy selfe into the capacity of that mercy , as thou shalt set the least jarre between that infinite justice and mercy ; It is true , it were wide with my soule , if there were any limits to that mercy ; That mercy can doe any thing but be unjust ; it can forgive a sinner , it cannot incourage him ; forgive him upon his penitence , when he hath sinned ; not incourage him in his resolution to sin : If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities , O Lord , who shall stand ? But there is forgivenesse with thee that thou maist be feared . I know therefore whither to have my recourse , when I have offended my God ; even to that throne of grace where there is plenteous redemption ; free and full remission ; I heare the heavenly voice of him that saith , I , even I , am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins ; but , I dare not offend because his grace aboundeth : justly doth the Psalmist make the use and effect of his mercy , to be our feare : we must feare him for his mercyes ; and for his judge ments , love him ; so far am I from giving my selfe leave to sin because I have to doe with a mercifull God ; as that his judgements have not so much power to drive me , as his mercies have to draw me from my dearest sinnes . As therefore my greatest sinnes are not too bigge for his mercy to remit , so my least sinnes are great enough to deserve his eternall displeasure . He that shal come to be Judge at those great Assises , hath told us , that even of eve ry idle word that men shal speak they shal give an acccount ; What can be sleighter then the wind of our words ? and what words more harmelesse then those which have no evill quality in them , though no good ? such are our idle words ; yet even those may not passe without an account ; and if our thoughts be yet lesse then they ; even those must so try us , as either to accuse or excuse us ; and , if evill , may condemne us : Think not therefore to draw me into sin because it is little ; The wages of sin is death ; here is no stint of quantities ; If sin be the work , death is the wages ; Perswade me now , if thou canst , that there is a little death for a little sin ; perswade me that there is a lesser infinitenesse ; and a shorter eternity : til the great Judge of the world reverse his most just sentence , I shall looke upon every sin as my death , and hate thee for the cause of both . But as thy suggestion shall never move me to take liberty to my selfe of yeilding to the smallest sin ; so the greatnesse of my most hainous sin , shall not daunt me whiles I rely upon an infinite mercy ; even my bloodiest sinnes are expiated by the blood of my Saviour ; that my all-sufficient surety hath cleared all my scores in heaven ; In him I stand fully discharged of all my debts ; and shall ( after all thy wicked temptations ) hold resolute , as not to commit the least sin , so not feare the greatest . VIII . TEMPTATION What a vaine imagination is this , wherewith thou pleasest thy selfe , that thy sins are discharged in another mans person ; that anothers righteousnesse should be thine ; that thine offences should be satisfied by anothers punishment : Tush , they abuse thee that perswade thee God is angry with mankind , which he loves , and favours ; or that his anger is appeased by the bloody satisfaction of a Saviour ; that thou standest acquitted in heaven by that which another hath done and suffered : These are fancies not fit to find place in the heads of wise men Repelled . NAy rather , these are blasphemies not fit to fall from any but a malignant Devill : what is this but to flatter man , that thou maist sclander God ? Is not the anger of a just God deservedly kindled against man for sin ? Do not our iniquities separate between us & our God ? Do not our sins hide his face from us , that he will not hear ? Are we not all by nature the childrē of wrath ? Doth not the wrath of God come ( for sin ) upon the children of disobedience ? Doth not every willing sinner ( after his hardnesse and impenitent heart ) teasure up unto himself lest he should not have enough wrath against the day of wrath , & the revelation of the just judgment of God ? why do not thy Socinian clients go about to perswade us ( as wel ) that God is not angry with thee , though he torment thee perpetually ; and hold thee in everlasting chaynes under darknesse ? what proofes can we have of anger but the effects of displeasure ? was it not from hence that man was driven out of Paradise ? was it not from hence that both he , and we in him , were adjudged to death ? as it is written , By one man sin entred into the world , and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men , for that all men have sinned : yea , not only to a temporal death , but , By the offence of one , judgment came upon all men to condemnation . Thou who art the dreadfull executioner knowest too wel who it is that had the power of death ; over those who through the feare of death were all their lives long subject unto bondage . Under this wofull captivity did we lye ; sold under sinne , vassals to it , and death , and thee ; till that one Mediator between God and man , the man Christ Iesus was pleased to give himselfe a ransome for all ; that he might redeem us from all iniquity ; who by his owne blood entred in once into the holy place making an eternall redemption for us : Lo , it is not doctrine , and example , it is no lesse then blood , the blood of the Sonne of God shed for our redemption , that renders him a perfect Mediator , and cleanseth us from all sin , He hath loved us , and hath given himself for us , an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour : He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law ; from the power of darknes ; & hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh , through death to present us holy , unblameabl ; & unreproveable in his sight , He it is that bare our sins in his own body on the tree , that we being dead to sinnes , should live unto righteousnesse . So abundant and cleare testimony hath God beene pleased to give to the infinite merit , and efficacy of the bloody satisfaction of his Sonne Iesus made for us , that wert thou not as unmeasurably impudent as malicious , thou couldst not indeavour to out-face so manifest a truth : Thinke not to beate mee off from this sure & saving hold by suggesting the improbability of anothers satisfaction , and obedience becomming mine ; what is more familiar then this ? Our sins are debts , ( so my Saviour hath styled them ) how commona a thing is it for debts to be set over to anothers hand ? how ordinary for a bond to be discharged by the surety ? If the debt then be paid for me , and that payment accepted of the Creditor , as mine , how fully am I acquitted ? Indeed , thou dost no other then sclander our title ; The righteousnesse wherby wee stand just before our God , is not meerly anothers ; it is by application ours ; it is Christs ; and Christ is ours ; He is our Head , we , as members , are united to him ; and by vertue of this blessed union , partake of his perfect obedience , and satisfaction : It is true , were we strangers to a Saviour , his righteousnesse could have no relation to us ; but now that wee are incorporated into him , by a lively faith , his graces , his merits are so ours , that all thy malice cannot sever them : I , even I who sinned in the first Adam , have satisfied in the second : The first Adams sinne was mine ; The second Adam was made sin for me ; I made my selfe sinfull in the first Adam , and in my selfe ; My Christ is made to me of God righteousnesse and redemption : The curse was my inheritance ; Christ hath redeemed me from the curse of the Law ; being made a curse for me , that I might be made the righteousnesse of God in him . It is thy deep envy thus to grudg unto man , the mercy of that redemption , which was not extended to thy self ; but in despight of all thy snarling , and repining , wee are safe . Being justified by faith , wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ . IX . TEMPTATION How confidently thou buildest upon a promise ; and if thou have but a word for it , mak'st thy selfe sure of any blessing : whereas thou maist know , that many of those promises , which thou accountest sacred and divine , have shrunk in the performance ; How hath God promised deliverance to those that trust in him ; yet how many of his faithfullest servants have miscarried ? what liberall promises hath he made of provision for those that wait upon him ; yet how many of them have miserably perished in want ? Repelled . BLasphemous spirit ; that which is thine own guise thou art ever apt to impute unto the holy one of Israel ; It is indeed thy manner to draw on thy clients with golden promises of life , wealth , honour , and to say ( as once to my Saviour ) All these will I give thee , when thou neither mean'st , nor canst give any thing but misery and torment . As for my God , whom thou wickedly slanderest , his just title is , Holy , and true : his promises are Amen , as himself : Thy Balaam could let fall so much truth , that God is not a man that he should lie , nor the sonne of man that he should repent ; Hath he said , and shall he not do it ; or hath he spoken , and shall he not make it good ? Cast thine eyes back upon his dealings with his Israel , a people unthankfull enough : and deny , if thou canst , how punctuall he was in all his proceedings with them ? Heare old Joshua , now towards his parting , professe : Behold , this day I am going the way of all flesh , & ye know in your hearts , & in all your souls , that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you ; all are come to passe unto you , and not one thing hath failed therof ; Heare the same truth attested many ages after by the wifest King ; Blessed be the Lord ( saith he ) that hath given rest unto his people Israel , according to all that he promised : There hath not failed one word of all his good promise , which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant . And lest thou shouldst cavil that perhaps God takes greater liberty to himself in matter of his promises under the Gospel , then he formerly did under the Law ; Let me challenge thy malice to instance in any one absolute promise , which God hath made since the beginning of the world unto this day , which he hath failed to performe ; It is not , I grant , uneasie to name divers conditionate ingagements , both of favours , and judgements , wherein God hath been pleased to vary from his former intimations ; and such alteration doth ful-well consist with the infinite wisdome , mercy , and justice of the Almighty , for where the condition required , is not performed by man , how just is it with God either to with-hold a favour , or to inflict a judgement ; or , where he sees that an outward blessing promised ( such a disposition of the soul as it may meet withall ) may turn to our prejudice , and to our spirituall losse , how is it other then mercy to withdraw it ? and in stead thereof to gratifie us with a greater blessing undesired ? In all which , even our own reason is able to justifie the Almighty ; for can we think God should be so obliged to us , as to force favours upon us , when we will needs render our selves uncapable of them ? or so tied up to the punctuality of a promise , as that he may not exchange it for a better ? The former was Eli's case who received this message from the man of God sent to him for that purpose : The Lord God of Israel saith , I said indeed that thy house , and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever ; but now the Lord saith ; Be it far from me ; for them that honour me I will honour , and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed . God meant the honour of the Priesthood to the family of Eli ; but what ? was it in so absolute termes , that how ever they dishonored God , yet God was bound to honour them ? All these promises of outward favours do never other then suppose an answerable capacity in the receiver ; like as the menaces of judgement ( how ever they sound ) do still intend the favourable exception of a timely prevention by a serious repentance . And though there be no expresse mention of such condition in the promises and threatnings of the Almighty : yet it is enough that he hath once for all made knowne his holy intentions to this purpose by his Prophet ; At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdome to pluck up , and to pull down , and to destroy it ; If that nation against whom I have pronounced , turn from their evill ; I will repent of the evill that I thought to do unto them ; And , at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom to build and to plant it ; If it do evill in my sight , that it obey not my voice , then I will repent of the good , wherewith I said I would benefit them . The message of Hezekiah's death , and Niniveh's destruction was , in the letter , absolute , but in the sense and intention , conditionate ; with such holy and just reservations are all the promises and threats of the Almighty in these temporall regards ; whiles they alter therefore , he changeth not ; but for his spirituall ingagements , that word of his shall stand everlastingly , I will not suffer my faithfulnesse to faile ; My covenant will I not break , nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth : Indeed this is the Tentation , wherewith thou hast formerly set some prime Saints of God , very hard : How doth the holy Psalmist hereupon break out into a dangerous passion ? Will the Lord cast off for ever ? and will be favorable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise faile for evermore ? hath God forgotten to be gracious ? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure ? Lo , the man was even falling , yet happily recovers his feet ; And I said , this is mine infirmity ; thine infirmity sure enough ( O Asaph ) to make question of the veracity and unfailablenesse of the sure mercies , and promises of the God of truth : Well was it for thee , that thy God , not taking advantage of thy weaknesse , puts forth his gracious hand , and staies thee with the seasonable consideration of the years of the right hand of the most high ; with the remembrance of the works of the Lord , and of his wonders of old ; these were enough to teach thee the omnipotent power , the never-failing mercy of thy maker and redeemer . In no other plight through the impetuousnesse of this temptation was the man after Gods owne heart , whiles he cried out ; I was greatly afflicted , I said in my haste all men are liers : the men that he mis-doubted were surely no other then Gods prophets , w ch had foretold him his future prosperity , & peaceable setlement in the throne ; these ( upon the cross occurrences he met with ) is he ready to censure as lyers , and through their sides , what doth he but strike at him that sent them ? But the word was not spoke in more haste , then it was retracted ; I believed , therefore I spake ; and then sense of mercies doth so overtake the sense of his sufferings , that now he takes more care what to retribute to God for his bounty , then he did before how to receive it , & pitches himselfe upon that firme ground of all comfort , Oh Lord , truly I am thy servant ; I am thy servant , and the son of thy handmaid ; Thou hast loosed my bonds . Here shall I stay my soul against all thy suggestions of distrust , O thou malicious enemy of mankind ; building my self upon that steddy rock of Israel , whose word is , I am Jehovah , I change not . Thou tel'st me of deliverances promised , yet ending in utter mis-carriages ; of provisions vanished into want : Why dost thou not tell me that even good men die ? These promises of earthly favours to the godly declare to us the ordinary course , that God pleaseth to hold in the dispensation of his blessings : which he so ordereth , as that generally they are the Lot of his faithfull ones , for the incouragement and reward of their services ; and contrarily his judgements befall his enemies , in part of payment ; But yet the great God , who is a most free agent , holds fit to leave himselfe at such liberty , as that sometimes for his own most holy purposes , hee may change the scene : which yet he never doth , but to the advantage of his owne ; so as the oppressions & wrongs which are done to them , turn favours ; The Hermite in the story could thank the thiefe that rob'd him of his provision , for that he helpt him so much the sooner to his journies end ; and indeed , if being stripped of our earthly goods , we be stored with spirituall riches ; if whiles the outward man perisheth , the inward man be renewed in us ; if for a little bootlesse honour here , we be advanced to an immortall glory ; if we have exchanged a short and miserable life , for a life eternally blessed ; finally if we lose earth , and win heaven , what cause have we to be other then thankfull ? whereto we have reason to adde , that in all these gracious promises of temporall mercies , there is ever to be understood the exception of expedient castigation , and the meet portage of the Crosse ; which were it not to be supplied , Gods children should want one of the greatest proofs of his fatherly love towards them : which they can read even written in their own bloud ; and can blesse God in killing them for a present blessednesse . So as after all thy malice , Gods promises are holy , his performances certain , his judgments just , his servants happy . X. TEMPTATION Thou art more nice then needs ; Your preachers are too strait-laced in their opinions , and make the way to heaven narrower then God ever meant it ; Tush , man , thou maist be saved in any religion : Is it likely that God will be so cruell , as to cast away all the world of men in the severall varieties of their professions , and save only one poor handfull of reformed Christians ? Away with these scruples ; A generall belief , and a good meaning will serve to bring thee to heaven , without these busie disquisitions of the Articles of faith . Repelled . IT is not for good that thou makest such liberall tenders to my soule ; thou well know'st how ready mans nature is to lay hold on any just liberty that may be allowed him ; and how repiningly it stoops to a restraint ; but this which thou craftily suggestest to mee ( wicked spirit ) is not liberty , it is licentiousnesse : Thou tell'st me the way to heaven is as wide as the world ; but the spirit of truth hath taught me , that strait is the gate , and narrow is the way , that leadeth unto life , and few there be that find it : I know there is but one truth , and one life , and one way to that life ; and I know who it was that said , I am the way , the truth , and the life . He who is one of these , is all ; My Saviour who is life , the end of that way , is likewise the way that leads unto that end ; neither is there any way to heaven but he ; All that is besides him , is by-pathes and errour ; And if any Teacher shall enlarge , or straiten this way Christ , let him be accursed . And if any Teacher shall presume to chalk out any other way then Christ , let him be accursed ; Tell not me therefore of the multitudes of men , and varieties of religions that there are in the world ; If there were as many worlds as men , and every of those men in those worlds , were severed in religion ; yet , I tell thee , there is but one heaven , and but one gate to that heaven , and but one way to that gate ; and that one gate , and way , is Christ ; without whom therefore there can be no entrance . It is thy blasphemy to charge cruelty upon God , if he do not ( that , whereof thou wouldst most complaine , as the greatest loser ) set heaven open on all sides to whatsoever commers : Even that God and Saviours which possesseth and disposeth it , hath told us of a strait gate , and a narrow way ; and few passagers . In vaine dost thou move me to affect to be more charitable then my redeemer : He best knows what he hath to do with that mankind , for whom he hath paid so dear a price ; Yet , to stop thy wicked mouth ; that way , which in comparison of the broad world is narrow , in it selfe ▪ hath a comfortable latitude ; Christ extendeth himselfe largely to a world of believers : This way lies open to all ; no nation , no person under heaven is excluded from walking in it ; Yea all are invited by the voice of the Gospel to tread in it : and whosoever walks in it with a right foot , is accepted to salvation . How far it may please my Saviour to cōmunicate himselfe to men , in an implicite way of beliefe ; and what place those generall and involved apprehensions of the redeemer may find for mercy , at the hands of God , he only knows that shall judge : this I am sure of , that without this Saviour , there can be no salvation ; That in every nation he that feareth God , and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him ; That he that hath the Son , hath life , and he that hath not the Son hath not life . As therefore we do justly abhor that wild scope of all religions , which thou suggestest ; so we do willingly admit a large scope in one true religion ; so large as the author of it hath thought good to allow : For we have not to do with a God that stands upon curiosities of beliefe ; or that , upon pain of damnation , requires of every believer an exquisite perfection of judgment , concerning every capillar veyne of Theologicall truth ; it is enough for him if we be right for the main substance of the body ; He doth not , call rigorously for every stone in the battlements , it sufficeth , for the capacity of our salvation if the foundation be hold in tire : It is thy sclander therefore that wee confine Truth ; and blessednesse to a corner of Reformed . Christians ▪ no ; wee seek and find it every where , where God hath a Church and Gods Church we know to be Universall : Let them be Abassines , Cophties , Armeniant , Georgians , Jacobites , or what ever names either sclander , or distinction hath put upon them ; if they hold the foundation firme ( howsoever disgracefully built upon with wood , hay , stubble ) wee hold them Christs , we hold them ours . Hence it is , that the new Jerusalem is for her beauty , and uniformity set forth with 12 precious gates , ( though for use and substance , one ) for that from all coasts of heaven there is free accesse to the Church of Christ , and in him to life and glory . He who is the Truth and the life hath said , This is eternall life to know thee , and him whom thou hast sent . This knowledge which is our way to life , is not alike at tained of all ; fome have greater light , and deeper insight into it then others , That mercy which accepts of the least degree or the true apprehension of Christ , hath not promised to dispense with the wilfull neglect of those who might know him more clearly , more exactly : Let those carelesse soules , therefore , which stand indifferent betwixt life and death , upon thy perswasion , content themselves with good meanings , and generalities of beliefe , but for me I shall labour to furnish my self with all requisite truths ; and above all shall aspire towards the excellency of the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ ; that I may know him , and the power of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings . TEMPTATIONS REPELLED . The second Decade . Temptations of Discouragement . II. DECADE . I. TEMPTATION Were it for some few sins of ignorance , or infirmity , thou might'st hope to find place for mercy ; but thy sins are , as for multitude innumerable , so ; for quality , haynous , presumptuous , unpardonable : with what face canst thou look up to heaven and expect remission from a just God ? Repelled . EVen with the face of an humble penitent , justly confounded in himself , in the sense of his owne vilenesse , but awfully confident in a promised mercy : Malicious tempter ; how like thou art to thy selfe ? when thou wouldst draw me on to my sins ; then , how small , sleight , harmlesse , plausible they were ? now thou hast fetch 't me in , to the guilt of those foule offences , they are no lesse then deadly and irremissible . May I but keep within the verge of mercy , thou canst not more aggravate my wickednesse against me , thē I do against my selfe ; thou canst not be more ready to accuse , then I to judge and condemn my selfe ; Oh me , the wretchedest of all creatures , how do I hate my selfe for mine abominable sins ; done with so high a hand , against such a Majesty , after such light of knowledge , such enforcements of warning , such indearments of mercy , such reluctations of spirit , such check of conscience ; what lesse then hell have I deserved from that infinite justice ? Thou canst not write more bitter things against me , then I can plead against my owne soule ; But when thou hast cast up all thy venome ; and when I have passed the heaviest sentence against my selfe , I , who am in my selfe utterly lost , and forfeited to eternall death , in despight of the gates of hell shall live , and am safe , in my Almighty , and ever-blessed Saviour who hath conquered Death and hell for me . Set thou me against my selfe ; I shall set my Saviour against thee ; urge thou my debts , I show his full acquittance : Sue thou my bonds , I shall exhibit them cancell'd , and nayled to his crosse : presse thou my horrible crimes , I plead a pardon sealed in heaven : Thou tell'st me of the multitude , and hainousnesse of my sins , I tell thee of an infinite mercy ; and what are numbers and magnitudes to the infinite ? To an illimited power what difference is there betwixt a mountaine and an ant-heape ? betwixt one and a million ? were my sins a thousand times more and worse then they are , there is worth abundantly enough in every drop of that precious blood which was shed for my redemption , to expiate them : Know , O tempter , that I have to doe with a mercy which can die my scarlet sins , white as snow ; & make my crimson , as wooll ; whose grace is so boundlesse , that if thou thy selfe hadst , upon thy fall , been capable of repentance , thou hadst not everlastingly perished ; The Lord is gracious , and full of compassion , slow to anger , and of great mercy ; The Lord is good to all ; and his tender mercies are over all his works ; And if there be a sin of man unpardonable , it is not for the insufficiency of grace to forgive it , but for the incapacity of the subject that should receive remissision . Thou feel'st to thy paine , and losse , wherefore it was that the eternall sonne of God , Jesus Christ , came into the world ; Even to save sinners ! and if my owne heart shall conspire with thee to accuse me as the chiefe of those sinners , my repentance gives me so much the more claim , and interest in his blessed redemption : Let me be the most laden with the chaines of my captivity , so I may have the greatest share in that all-sufficient ransome . And if thou who art the true fiery serpent in this miserable wildernesse , hast by sin stung my soul to death ; let me ( as I do ) with penitent and faithfull eyes but look up to that brazen serpent which is lift up far above all heavens , thy poyson cannot kill , cannot hurt me . It is the word of eternall truth , which cannot faile us , If we confesse our sins , he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse . Lo , here , not mercy only , but justice on my side ; The spirit of God saith not only , if we confesse our sins , he is mercifull to forgive our sins , as he elswhere speaks by the pen of Salomon : but more ; he is faithfull and just to forgive our sins ; Our weaknesse and ignorance is wont to flie from the justice of our God , unto his mercy ; What can we feare , when his very justice yeilds remission ? That justice relates to his gracious promise of pardon to the penitent ; whiles I do truly repent therefore , his very justice necessarily infers mercy , and that mercy forgivenesse : Think not therefore , O thou malicious spirit , to affright me with the mention of Divine Justice ; Wo were me if God were not as just , as mercifull ; yea if he were not therefore mercifull because he is just ; mercifull in giving me repentance , just in vouchsafing me the promised mercy and forgivenesse , upon the repentance which he hath given me . After all thy hainous exaggerations of my guilt , it is not the quality of the sin , but the disposition of the sinner that damns the soule ; If we compare the offensive acts of a David , and a Saul , it is not easie to judge whether were more foul ; thou which stirred'st them up both to those odious sinnes , madest account of an equall advantage against both ; but thine ayme failed thee ; the humble and true penitence of the one saved him out of thy hands , the obdurednesse , and false-heartednesse of the other gave him up , as a prey to thy malice ; It is enough for me that though I had not the grace to avoid my sinnes , yet I have the grace to hate and bewaile them ; that good spirit which thought not good to restraine me from sinning , hath beene graciously pleased to humble me for sinning . Yea such is the infinite goodnesse of my God to my poor soule , that those sins which thou hast drawn me into , with an intent of my utmost prejudice , and damnation , are happily turned , through his grace , unto my greatest advantage ; for had it not been for these my sinfull miscarriages , had I ever attained to so cleare a sight of my owne frailty and wretchednesse ? so deep a contrition of soule ? so reall experience of temptation ? so hearty a detestation of sin ? such tendernesse of heart ? such awe of offending ? so fervent zeale of obedience ? so sweet a sense of mercy ? so thankfull a recognition of deliverance ? What hast thou now gained , O thou wicked spirit , by thy prevalent temptations ? What Trophees hast thou cause to erect for thy victory and my soyle ? Couldst thou have won me to a trade of sinning , to a resolution in evill , to a pleasure as in the commission , so in the memory of my sin , to a glorying in wickednesse , & then mightst have taken the advantage of snatching mee away in a state of unrepentance , thou mightst have had just cause to triumph in thy prey ; but now , that it hath pleased my God to shew me so much mercy , as to check me in my evill way , to work in me an abhorring of my sin , and of my selfe for it , and to pull me out of thy clutches , by a true and seasonable repentance , thou hast lost a soule , and I have found a Saviour ; Thou maist upbraid me with the foulnesse of my sins , I shall blesse God for their improvement . II. TEMPTATION Alas , poore man , how willing thou art to make thy selfe believe that thou hast truly repented ; whereas this is nothing but some dump of Melancholy ; or some relenting of nature after too much expence of spirits ; or some irksome discontentment after a satiety and wearinesse of pleasure , or some slavish shrinking in upon the expectation of a lash ; true penitence is a spirituall business , an effect of that grace which was never incident into thy bosome Repelled . MAlicious tempter , it is my no small happinesse that thou art not admitted to keep the key of my heart , or to look into my brest , to see what is in my bosome ; and therefore thou canst not , out of knowledge , passe any censure of my inward dispositions ; onely wilt be sure to suggest the worst ; which the falser it is , the better doth it become the father of lies ; But that good spirit which hath wrought true repentance in my heart , witnesseth , together with my heart , the truth of my repentance . Canst thou hope to perswade me , that I do belie , or mis-know my own grief ? Do not I feele this heart of mine bleed with a true inward remorse for my sinnes ? Have I not poured out many hearty sighs , and tears for mine offences ? Do I not ever looke backe upon them with a vehement loathing and detestation ? Have I not with much anguish of soule confessed them before the face of that God whom I have provoked ? Think not now to choak me with a Cain , or Saul , or Judas , which did more , and repented not ; & to fasten upon me a worldly sorrow that worketh Death ; No wicked one , after all thy depravations , this grief of mine looks with a farre other face then theirs , and is no other then a Godly sorrow working repentance to salvation , not to be repented of ; theirs was out of the horror of punishment , mine out of the sense of displeasure ; their 's for the doom and execution of a severe Judge , mine for the frownes of an offended father ; theirs attended with a wofull despaire , mine with a weeping confidence ; their 's a preface to Hell , mine an introduction to salvation . And since thou wilt needs disparage , and mis-call this godly disposition of mine ; Lo , I challenge this envie of thine to call it to the Test , and to examine it thoroughly whether it agree not with those unfayling rules of the sympcomes and effects of the sorrow , which is according to God : Hath not here been a true carefulnesse ; as to be freed and acquitted from the present guilt of my sin ; so to keep my soul unspotted for the future ; both to work my peace with my God , and to 〈◊〉 it ? Hath not my heard earnestly ▪ laboured to cleare it selfe before God ▪ not with shuffling excuses , and flattering mitigations ; but by humble and syncere confessions of my owne vilenesse ? Hath not my brest swell'd up with an angry indignation at my sinfull mis-carriages ? have I not seriously rated my selfe , for giving way to thy wicked temptations ? Have I not trembled , not only at the apprehension of my owne danger by sin , but at the very suggestion of the like offence ? have I not been kept in awe with the jealous feares of my miserable frailties , lest I should be againe ensnared in thy mischievous ginnes ? Have I not felt in my selfe a servent desire above all things to stand right , in the recovered favour of my God ; and to be strengthned in the inner man with a further increase of grace ; for the preventing of future sins ; and giving more glory to my God , and Saviour ? Hath not my heart within me burn'd with so much more zeale to the honour and service of that Majesty which I have offended , as I have more dishonoured him by my offence ? hath it not been inflamed with just displeasure at my selfe , and all the instruments & means of my mis-leading ? Lastly , have I not falne foule upon my selfe for so easie a seduction ? have I not chastised my self with sharp reproofs ▪ have I not held my appetite short , and upon these very grounds punished it with a deniall of lawfull contentments ? have I not thereupon tasked my selfe with the harder duties of obedience ▪ and doe I not now resolve , and carefully indeavour to walke conscionably in all the wayes of God ; Maligne therefore how thou wilt , my repentance stands firme against all thy detractions , and is not more impugned by thee on earth , then it is accepted in heaven . III. TEMPTATION Thou hast small reason to bear thy self upon thy repentance ; it is too slight ; seconded with too many relapses , too late , to yeild any true comfort to thy soule Repelled . NOr thus can I be discouraged by thee , malicious spirit ; The mercy of my God hath not ●et any stint to the allowed measure of repentance ; Where hath he ever said ; Thus farre shall thy penitence come , else it shall not be accepted ? It is truth that he calls for , not measure ; That happy thief , whom my dying Saviour rescued out of thy hands , gave no other proofe of his repentance , but , We are justly here ; and receive due reward of our deeds ; yet was admitted to attend his Redeemer from his Crosse to his Paradise . Neither do we heare any words from penitent David after his foule crimes , but , I have sinned , Not that any true penitent can be afraid of too much compunction of heart ; and is ready to dry up his teares too soone ; rather pleasing himselfe with the continuance and paine of his own smart ; but that our indulgent father , who takes no pleasure in our misery , is apt to wipe away the teares from our eyes , contenting himself only w th the syncernesse , not the extremity of our contrition : Thy malice is altogether for extreams ; either a wild security , or an utter desperation ; that holy and mercifull Spirit , who is a professed lover of mankind , is ever for the meane ; so hating our carelesnesse that he will not suffer us to want the exercises of a due humiliation ; so abhorring despaire , that he abides not to have us driven to the brinke of that fearfull precipice . As for my repentance , therefore it is enough for me that it is sound , and serious for the substance ; yet , withall , ( thanks be to that good Spirit that wrought it ) it is graciously approveable even for the measure ; I have heartily mourned for my sinnes , though I pined not away with sorrow ; I have broken my sleep for them , though I have not watered my couch with my teares ; and , next to thy selfe , I have hated them most : I have beaten my brest , though I have not rent my heart ; and what would I not have done , or given that I had not sinned ? Tell not me that some worldly crosses have gone nearer to my heart , then my sins ; and that I have spent more teares upon the losse of a sonne , then the displeasure of my heavenly father ; The father of mercies will not measure our repentance by these crooked lines of thine ; he knows the flesh and bloud we are made of ; and therefore expects not we should have so quick a sense of our spirituall , as of our bodily affliction ; it contents him that we set a valuation of his favour , above all earthly things ; and esteeme his offence the greatest of all evils that can befall us : and of this judgement and affection it is not in thy power to bereave my soule . As for my relapses ; I confesse them with sorrow and shame : I know their danger ; and ( had I not to do with an infinite mercy ) their deadlinesse : Yet after all my confusion of face , and thine enforcement of justice , my soul is safe ; for upon those perilous recidivations my hearty repentance hath made my peace ; The long-suffering God , whom I have offended , hath set no limits to his remission : After ten miraculous signes in Egypt , his Israel tempted him no lesse then ten times in the wildernesse , yet his mercy forbore them : not rewarding their reiterated sin with deserved vengeance ; Hath not that gracious Saviour of mankind charged us to forgive our offending brother no lesse then seventy times seven times ? and what proportion is there between our mercy , and his ? Could'st thou charge mee with incouraging my selfe to continue my sin upon this presumption of pardon , thou hadst cause to boast of the advantage , but now that my remorse hath been syncere , and my falls weak , my God will not with-hold mercy from his penitent ; that hath not only confessed but forsaken his sin . As for the late season of my repentance , I confesse I have highly wronged and hazarded my soule in the delay of so often required , and so often purposed a worke ; and given thee faire advantages against my selfe , by so dangerous a neglect ; but blessed be my God that he suffer'd not these advantages to be taken ; I had been utterly lost , if thou hadst surprized me in my impenitence : but now , I can look back upon my perill well passed , and defie thy malice : No time can be prejudiciall to the king of heaven ; no season can be any barre either to our conversion , or his mercifull acceptance : It is true , that latenesse gives shrewd suspitions of the truth of repentance ; but where our repentance is true , it cannot come too late . Object this to some formall soules , that having lavisht out the whole course of their lives in wilfull sensuality & profanenesse , thinke to make an abundant amends for all , on their death-beds with a fashionable , Lord have mercy ; These whom thou hast mockt and drawn on with a stupid security all their days , may well be upbraided by thee , with the irrecoverable delay of what they have not grace to seek ; but that soule which is truly touched with the sense of his sin ; and in an humble contrition makes his addresse to God , and interposes Christ betwixt God and it selfe , is in vain scarred with delay ; and finds that his God makes no difference of houres . Do I not see the Prodigall in the Gospel , after he had run himselfe quite out of breath & means , yet at the last cast , returning , and accepted ▪ I do not hear his father austerely say , Nay , unthrift , hadst thou come whiles thou hadst some bags left , I should have welcomed thy returne as an argument of some grace , and love : but now that thou hast spent all ; and necessity , not affection drives thee home , keep off , and starve ; but the good old man runs , and meets him ; and falls on his neck and kisses him , and calls for the best robe , and the fatted calfe : Thus , thus deals our heavenly Father with us wretched sinners ; if after all refuges vainly sought , and all gracious opportunities carelesly neglected , we shall yet have sincere recourse to his infinite mercy the best things in heaven shall not be too good for us . IV. TEMPTATION Tush ! What doest thou please thy selfe with these vaine thoughts ? if God cared for thee couldst thou be thus miserable ? Repelled . AWay thou lying Spirit ; I am afflicted ; but it is not in thy power to make me miserable : And did I yet smart much more , wouldst thou perswade me to measure the favour of my God by these outward events ? Hath not the Spirit of Truth taught me that in these externall matters , All things come alike to all ; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked ; to the good and cleane , and to the uncleane ; to him that sacrificeth , and to him that sacrificeth not ; as is the good , so is the sinner ; & he that sweareth , as he that feareth an Oath : But if there were any judgement to be passed upon these grounds , the advantage is mine ; I smart , yea I bleed under the hand of my heavenly father ; Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth ; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth : Lo , there cannot e so much paine in the stripes , as there is comfort in the love of him that layes them on ; He were not my father if he whip't me not ; Truth hath said it , If ye be without chastisements , ye are bastards , and not sonnes : He cannot but love me , whiles he is my father : and let him fetch bloud on me , so he love me : After all thy malice , let me be a bleeding son to such a father ; whiles thy base-borne children enjoy their ease . Impudent tempter , how canst thou from my sufferings argue Gods disfavour , when thou knowest that he whom God loved best , suffered most ? The eternall Sonne of his love , that could truly say , I and the Father are one , indured more from the hand of that his heavenly Father then all the whole world of mankind was capable to suffer ▪ Surely he hath borne our griefs , and carried our sorrows ; He was wounded for oue transgressions , he was bruised for our iniquities ▪ the chastisements of our peace were upon him ▪ the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all . What poore flea bitings are these that I am afflicted with ▪ in respect of those torments which the Sonne of God under went for me ? Thou that sawest the bloudy sweat of his agony , the cruell tortures of his crucifixion , the pangs of worse then death , the sense of his Fathers wrath & our curse , dost thou move me , whom he hath bought with so dear a price , to murmur , and recoyle upon divine providence for a petty affliction ? Besides , this is the load which my blessed Saviour hath with his owne hands laid upon my shoulders ; If any man will come after me , let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily , and follow me . Lo , every Crosse is not Christs ; each man hath a crosse of his owne , and this crosse he may not think to tread upon , but he must take up ; and not once perhaps in his life , but daily , and with that weight on his neck he must follow the Lord of life , not to his Tabor only , but to his Golgotha : And thus following him on earth , he shall surely overtake him in heaven ; for if we suffer with him , we shall also reigne with him ▪ It is still thy policy , O thou envious Spirit , to fill mine eyes with the crosse , and to represent nothing to my thoughts , but the horror and paine of suffering , that so thou may'st drive me to a languishing dejectednesse of spirit , and despaire of mercy ; But my God hath raised and directed mine eyes to a better prospect , quite beyond thine , which is a crowne of glory . I see that ready to be set upon my head after my strife , and victory , which were more then enough to make amends for an hell upon earth : In vaine should I hope to obtaine it without a conflict ; how should I overcome if I strive not ? These struglings are the way to a conquest ; After all these assaults the foyle shall bee thine , and mine shall be the glory and triumph ; The God of Truth hath said it : Be faithfull to the death , and I will give thee a crown of life . Thine advantage lies in the way , mine in the end ; the way of affliction is rugged , deep , stiffe , dangerous ; the end is faire , and greene , and strewed with flowers ; No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous , but grievous ; neverthelesse afterwards , it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby . What if I be in paine here for a while ? The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us . It is thy maliciousnesse that would make the affliction of my body the bane of my soule : but if the fault be not mine , that which thou intendest for a poyson shall prove a cordiall : Let patience have her perfect work , and I am happy in my sufferings : For our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a farre more exceeding , and eternall weight of glory ▪ Lo ; it doth not only admir of glory , but works it for us ; so as we are infinitely more beholden to our paine , then to our ease ; and have reason not onely to be well apayd , but to rejoyce in tribulations ; knowing , That Tribulation worketh patience , and patience experience , & experience hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed . Tell mee if thou canst , which of those Saints that are now shining bright in their heaven , hath got thither un-afflicted ? How many of those blessed ones have indured more , then my God wil allow thee to inflict upon my weaknesse ? Some more , and some lesse sorrowes ; all some , yea many : so true is that word of the chosen vessell , That through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdome of God. By this then I see that I am in my right way to that blessednesse I am travelling towards ; Did I find my self in the smooth , pleasant and flowry path of carnall ease and contentment ; I should have just reason to think my selfe quite out of that happy road ; Now I know I am going directly towards my home ; the abiding City which is above ; So far therefore are my sufferings from arguing me miserable , that I could not be happy if I suffered not . V. TEMPTATION Foolish man , how vainly dost thou flatter thy selfe in calling that a chastisement , which God intends for a judgment ; in mistaking that for a rod of fatherly correction , which God laies on as a scourge of just anger , and punishment . Repelled . IT is thy maliciousnesse , O thou wicked spirit , ever to mis-interpret Gods actions ; and to sclander the footsteps of the Almighty ; But notwithstanding all thy mischievous suggestions , I can read mercy , and favour in my affliction ; neither shall it be in the power of thy temptation to put me out of this just construction of my sufferings ; For , what ? Is it the measure of my smart that should argue Gods displeasure ? How many of Gods dearlings on earth have indured more ? What say'st thou to the man , with whom the Almighty did once challenge and foyle thee , the great patterne of patience ; was not his calamity as much beyond mine , as my graces are short of his ? Dost thou not heare the man after Gods owne heart say , Lord , remember David and all his troubles ? Dost thou not hear the chosen vessell who was rapt up into the third heaven , complaine , We are troubled on every side , yet not distressed ; perplexed , but not in despaire ; persecuted , but not forsaken ; cast downe , but not destroyed . Of the Jewes five times received I forty stripes save one ; Thrice was I beaten with rods ; once was I stoned ; thrice I suffered shipwrack , a night and a day I have been in the deep ; In journying often , in perils of waters , in perils of robbers , in perils by my owne countrymen , in perils by the heathen , &c. In wearinesse and painfulnesse , in watchings often , in hunger and thirst , in fastings often , in cold and nakednesse ; Yea which was worse then all these , dost thou not heare him say , There was given to me a thorne in the flesh , the messenger of Satan to buffet me ? Dost thou not too well know ( for thou wert the maine actor in those wofull Tragedies ) what cruell torments the blessed Martyrs of God in all ages have undergone for their holy profession ? None upon earth ever found Gods hand so heavy upon them , none upon earth were so dear to heaven ; The sharpnesse therefore of my pangs can be no proofe of the displeasure of my God ; Yea contrarily , this visitation of mine ( what ever thou suggestest ) is in much love and mercy : Had my God let me loose to my owne waies , and suffered me to run on carelesly in a course of sinning without check , or controll , this had been a manifest argument of an high and hainous displeasure : God is grievously angry when he punishes sinners with prosperity ; for this shows them reserved to a fearfull damnation ; but whom he reclaims from evil by a severe correction , those he loves , there cannot be a greater favour then those saving stripes ; When wee are judged , we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world . Besides , the manner of the infliction speaks nothing but mercy ; for , what a gentle hand doth my God lay upon me ? as if he said , I must correct thee , but I will not hurt thee ; what gracious respites are here ; what favourable inter-spirations ; as if God bade me to recollect my selfe ; and invited me to meet him by a seasonable humiliation ; This is not the fashion of anger and enmity ; which ayming only at destruction , indevours to surprise the adversary , and to hurry him to a sudden execution . Neither is it a meer affliction that can evince either love or hatred ; all is in the attendants , and entertainment of afflictions ; Where God means favour , he gives together with the crosse an humble heart , a meek spirit , a patient submission to his good pleasure , a willingnesse to kisse the rod , and the hand that wields it , a faithfull dependence upon that arme from which he smarts ; and lastly , an happy use and improvement of the suffering , to the bettering of the soule ; who so finds these dispositions in himselfe may well take up that resolution of the sweet singer of Israel , It is good for me that I have been afflicted ; I know , O Lord , that thy judgements are right ; and that thou in very faithfulnesse hast afflicted me : Contrarily , where God smites in anger , those stroakes are followed and accompanied with wofull symptomes of a spirituall maladie ; either a stupid senslesnesse and obdurednesse of heart ; or an impatient murmuring at the stripes ; saucy and presumptuous expostulations , fretting and repining at the smart ; a perverse alienation of affection , and a rebellious swelling against God ; an utter dejection of spirit , and lastly an heartlesse despaire of mercy . Those with home thou hast prevailed so far as to draw them into this deadly condition of soule , have just cause to thinke themselves smitten in displeasure , but as for me , blessed be the name of my God , my stripes are medicinall , and healing : Let the righteous God thus smite me , it shall be a kindnesse ; and let him reprove me , it shall be an excellent oyle that shall not break my head . VI. TEMPTATION Away with these superstitious feares , and needlesse scruples wherewith thou fondly troublest thy selfe ; as if God that sits above in the circle of heaven regarded these poore businesses that passe here below upon earth ; or cared what this man doth , or that man suffereth : Dost thou not see that none prosper so much in the world as those that are most noted for wickednesse ? and dost thou see any so miserable upon earth as the holiest ? Could it be thus if there were providence that over looks and over-rules these earthly affairs ? Repelled . THe Lord rebuke thee , Satan . Even that great Lord of heaven and earth , whom thou so wickedly blasphemest ; wouldst thou perswade me that he who is infinite in power , is not also infinite in providence ? He whose infinite power made all creatures , both in heaven above , and in earth beneath , shall not his infinite providence govern and dispose of all that he hath made ? Lo , how justly the spirit of wisdome calls thee , and thy clients , fools , & brutish things ; They say , the Lord shall not see , neither shall the God of Jacob regard ; Vnderstand ye brutish among the people ; and ye fools , when will ye be wise ? He that planted the eare , shall he not heare ? he that formed the eye , shall not he see ? he that teacheth man knowledge , shall not he know ? It was no limited power , that could make this eye to see , this eare to heare , this heart to understand ; and if that eye which he hath given us , can see all things that are within our prospect ; and that eare that he hath planted , can heare all sounds that are within our compasse ; and that heart that he hath given us , can know all matters within the reach of our comprehension ; how much more shall the sight , and hearing , and knowledge of that infinite Spirit ( which can admit of no bounds ) extend to all the actions and events of all the creatures , that lie open before him that ma●e them ? It is in him that we live , and move , and have our being ; and can we be so sottish , as to think we can steale a life from him , which he knows not of ? or a motion that he discerneth not ? That word of his by whom all creatures were made , hath told me , that not one sparrow ( two whereof are sold for a farthing ) can fall to the ground without my heavenly Father ; yea , that the very hairs of our heads ( though a poor , neglected excrement ) are all numbred : and can there be any thing more sleight then they ? How great care must we needs think is taken of the head , since not an haire can fall unregarded ? The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich ; he bringeth down and lifteth up : He raiseth up the poor out of the dust , and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill , to set them among princes , and to make them inherit the throne of glory ; for the pillars of the earth are the Lords , and he hath set the world upon them . Even Rabshakeh himselfe spake truer then he was aware of ; Am I now comne up without the Lord against this place ? No certainly , thou insolent blasphemer , thou couldst not move thy tongue , nor wag thy finger against Gods inheritance , without the providence of that God , who returned answer to thy proud Master , the King of Assyria , I know thy abode , and thy going out , and thy comming in , and thy rage against me ; Thy rage , and thy tumult is come up into my ears ; therefore I will put an hooke in thy nose , and my bridle in thy lips , and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest : So true is that word of Elihu ; His eyes are upon the waies of man ; and he soeth all his goings ; there is no darknesse , nor shadow of death , where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves ; Seconded by the holy Psalmist ; The Lord looketh from heaven , he beholdeth all the sons of men ; From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth . Neither is this divine providence confined onely to man , the prime peece of this visible creation ; but ; it extends it self to all the workmanship of the Almighty : O. Lord how manifold are , thy works ; in wisdome hast thoumade them all ; the earth is full of thy riches : So is the great and wide Sea ; wherein are things creeping innumerable , both small and great beasts ; these wait all upon thee , that thou maist give them their meat in due season , thou givest it them , they gather ; thou openest thy hand , they are filled with good : The young Lyons roar after their prey ; and seek their meat from God ; The ravens neither sow nor reap , no● have any store-house , or barne , yet God feedeth them ; The Lillies toyle not , nor sp●● , yet the great God cloaths them with more then Salomons glory . Who knoweth not in all these , that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this ? In whose hand is the soule of every living thing ; and the breath of all mankind . What dost thou then , O thou false spirit , thinke to choak divine providence with the smalnesse , and multitude of objects ? as if quantities or numbers could make any difference in the Infinite ? as if one drop of water were not all one to the Almighty , with the whole deep ? One corne of sand with the whole masse of the earth ? as if that hand which graspeth the large circumference of the highest heaven could let slip the least flye , or worme upon earth ? When thou feelest , to thy paine , that this eye of omniscience , and this hand of power reaches even to thy neither most hell ; and sees and orders every of those torments wherewith thou art everlastingly punished ; and at pleasure puts bounds to thy malicious indevours against his meanest creatures upon earth ? Thou tellest me of the wickedest mens prosperity ; This is no new dart of thine , but the same which thou hast throwne , of old , at many a faithfull heart ; Holy Job , David , Jeremie felt the dint of it ; not without danger , but without hurt . It is true ; Wicked men flourish ; what marvell is this ? The world loves his owne : Doth any man wonder to see the weeds overtop the good herbes ? They are natives to that soyle , whereto the other are but strangers . Wicked men prosper ; It is all the heaven they are like to have ; and yet , alas , at the best , it is but a wofull one ; how intermixed with sorrows and discontentments ? how full of uncertainties ? how certain of ruine , and confusion ? It is a sure and sad interchange , whereof Father Abraham minds the man who was now more full of torment , then formerly of wealth ; Son , remember , that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things , and Lazarus evill ; but now he is comforted , and thou art tormented . The wicked man prospers ; but how long ? I have seen the wicked in great power ; and spreading himselfe like a green bay-tree ; yet he passed away , and , lo , he was not ; I sought him , but he could not be found . The wicked prosper ; Alas , their welfare is their judgement ; God doth not owe them so much favour , as to afflict them : They walk on mertily towards a deadly precipice : The just God lets them alone ; and will not so much as molest their jollity with a painfull check . The wicked thrive in the world ; How should they do other ? Mammon is the God they serve , and what can he doe lesse then blesse them with a miserable advantage ? for thus their wealth is made to them an occasion of falling ; The prosperity of fools shall destroy them . The wicked prosper ; Let me never prosper if I envy them : Do not I see their day coming ? Do not I know that they are meerly fed up to the slaughter ? Wherefore do the cram'd fowles , and fatted Oxen fare better then their fellows ? Is it out of favour , or is it that they are designed to the dresser ? Amnon is feasted with his brethren , those that serve him see death in his face : Belshazzar triumphs in mirth , and carouseth freely in the sacred vessels ; The hand writes upon the wall , Thy dayes are numbred , thy kingdome finished : The revelling of the wicked , is but a lightning before an eternall death . Thou tell'st me on the the contrary , that the godly are persecuted , afflicted , tormented . It is true ; None knows it better then thy selfe , who under the permission of the most High , art the author of all their sufferings . It is thou , the red Dragon , that standest ready to devoure the masculine issue of Gods Church ; It is thou , that when the persecuted woman flees into the wildernesse , powrest out of thy mouth , after her , flouds of water to drowne her : It is thou that inspirest Tyrants w th rage against the innocent Saints of God ; and actuatest their hellish cruelty : But , when thou hast all done , the most wise and mighty arbiter of heaven turnes all this to the advantage of his deare ones upon earth : The bloud of the Martyrs doth , and shall prove the seed of the Church ; whereof every grain yeelds thirty , sixty , an hundred fold : Neither had the Church of God been so numerous , if there had been lesse malice in thy prosecution : And as for those severall Christians , that have undergone the worst of thy fury , they are so far from finding cause of complaint , that they rejoyce and triumph in the happy issue of their intended miseries ; They can say to thee as Joseph said of old , to his once-envious brethren ; Thou thoughtst evill against us , but God meant it unto good ; they had not now sate so gloriously crowned in the highest heaven , if thou hadst not persecuted them unto bloud . None are so afflicted ( thou saist ) as the godly ; True , their Saviour hath told them before hand what to trust to ; In the world ye shall have tribulation ; Have they any reason to looke for better measure then their blessed redeemer ? If the world hate you , ( saith he ) ye know that it hated me before it hated you : If ye were of the world , the world would love his owne , but because ye are not of the world , but I have chosen you out of the world , therefore the world hateth you ; Now , welcome , welcome that hate that is raised from our deare Saviours love and election ; Wo were us if we were not thus hated : Let the world hate , and hurt us thus still , so we may be the favorites of heaven . None fare so ill on earth as the godly , both living and dead ; The dead bodies of Gods servants , have they given to be meat to the fowls of the heaven , the flesh of his Saints , unto the beasts of the field , their bloud have they shed like water , and there was none to bury thē ; They are become a reproach to their neighbours ; a scorn and derision to them that are round about them . Oh the poor impotent malice of wicked spirits , and men ! What matters it if our carcasses rot upon earth , whiles our souls shine in heavenly glory ? What matters it , if for a while we be made a gazing-stock to the world , to Angels , and to men ; whiles the Son of God hath assured us of an eternall royalty ? To him that over-commeth will I grant to sit with me in my throne ; even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his throne . None are so ill intreated as the godly : It is true , for none are so happy as they : Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake ; for theirs is the kingdome of heaven . Blessed are ye , when men shall revile you , and persecute you , and say all manner of evill of you , falsly , for my sake . Rejoice , and be exceeding glad , for great is your reward in heaven : Who would not endure wrongs a while to be everlastingly recompenced ? Here is not place onely for patience , but for joy , and that exceeding ; in respect of a reward so infinitely glorious . It is no marvell then , if we be bidden to pray for them which despitefully use us , and persecute us ; these are the men that are our great Benefactors , & ( though full sore against their wills ) contribute to our eternall blessednesse . The wicked triumph , whiles the righteous are trampled upon ; What marvell ? we are in a middle region betwixt heaven , and hell ; but nearer to this latter , which is the place of confusion : It is but staying a while ; and each place will be distinctly peopled with his owne ; there is a large and glorious heaven appointed for the everlasting receptacle of the just , an hell for the godlesse : till then , the eternall wisdome hath determined for his most holy ends to give way to this confused mixture , and to this seeming-inequality of events . How easie were it for him to make all heaven ; but he hath a justice to glorifie , as well as a mercy : and ( in the mean time ) it is the just praise of his infinite power , wisdome , goodnesse , that he can fetch the greatest good , out of the worst of evils . All things go crosse here ; the righteous droop , the wicked flourish : The end shall make amends for all ; The world is a stage ; every man acts his part ; the wise compiler of this great interlude hath so contrived it ; That the middle Scenes show nothing but intricacy ; and perplexednesse ; the unskilfull spectator is ready to censure the plot ; and thinks he sees such unpleasing difficulties in the carriage of affaires , as can never be reconciled ; but by that time he have sate it out , he shall see all brought about to a meet accordance ; and all shut up in a happy applause . Blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried , he shall receive the crowne of life , which the Lord hath promised to them that love him . The world is an Apothecaries shop , wherein there are all manner of drugs , some poysonous , others cordiall ; An ignorant , that comes in , and knows only the quality , not the use of those receits , will straight be ready to say ; What do these unwholsome simples , these dangerous mineralls , these deadly juices here ? But the learned , and skilfull artist knows how so to temper all these noxious ingredients , that they shall turn Antidotes , and serve for the health of his patient . Thus doth the most high and holy God order these earthly ( though noxious ) compositions , to the glory of his great name , and to the advantage of his chosen : So as that suggestion , wherewith thou meant'st to batter the divine providence of the Almighty , doth invincibly fortifie it ; his most wise permission and powerfull over-ruling of evill actions and men through the whole world to his owne honour , & the benefit of his Church . VII . TEMPTATION If God be never so liberall in in his promises and sure in performances of mercy , to his own , yet what is that to thee ? thou art none of his , neither canst lay any just claime to his election ; Repelled . HOw boldly can I defie thee , O thou lying spirit , whiles I have the assurance of him , who is the word of Truth ; How confidently dare I challenge thee upon that unfailing testimony , which shall stand till heaven and earth shall passe ; Ye that have believed in Christ , are sealed with that holy spirit of promise , which is the earnest of our inheritance , untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory : Lo here a double assurance , which all the powers of hell shall in vaine labour to defeat ; The Almighties Scale , and his Earnest : both made , and given to the believer ; and therefore to me : In spight of all temptations I believe , and know whom I have believed ; I can accuse my faith of weaknesse , thou canst not convince it of untruth ; and all the precious promises of the Gospel , and all the gracious ingagements of God , are made , not to the measure , but to the truth of our beliefe , and why should not I as truly know that I relie upon the word of my Saviour , as I know that I distrust , and reject thine ? Since then I am a subject truly capable of this mercy , what can hinder me from enjoying it ? Cheare thy selfe up therefore , O my soule , with this undefeisible confidence , that thou hast Gods seale , and his earnest for thy salvation . Even an honest man will not be lesse then his word ; but if his hand have seconded his tongue , he holds the obligation yet stronger ; but if his seale shall be further added to his hand , there is nothing that can give more validity to the graunt , or contract : yet , even of the value of Seales there is much difference : The Seale of a private man carries so much authority as his person ; the seale of a Community hath so much more security in it , as there are more persons interessed : But the signet of a King hath wont to be held , to all purposes , authenticall ; as we find ( to omit Ahab ) in the signatures of Ahasuerus , and Darius ; Who desires any better assurance for the estate of him and his posterity , then the Great Seale ? And behold here is no lesse then the great seale of heaven for my election and salvation ; Ye are sealed with the spirit of promise . But lest thou shouldest plead this to be but a graunt of the future , and therefore , perhaps , upon some intervenient mis-deamures , or unkindnesse taken , reversible ; know that here is yet further , an actuall conveyance of this mercy to me ; in that here is an Earnest given me before-hand of a perfect accomplishment : An earnest , that both binds the assurance , and stands for part of payment of that great sum of glory which abides for me in heaven . This seale I shew , this earnest I produce ; so as my securance is unfailable : And , that thou maist not plead this Seale to be counterfeit , set on only with a stamp of presumption and self-love ; know that here is the true and cleare impression of Gods spirit in all the lines of that gracious signanature ; a right ( though weak ) illumination of mind in the true apprehension of heavenly things , sincerity of holy desires , truth of inchoate holiness , unfainedness of Christian charity , constant purposes and indeavours of perfect obedience : And as for my earnest , it can no more disappoint me , then the hand that gave it ; My soule is possessed with true ( how ever imperfect ) grace : and what is grace but the beginning of glory ? and what is glory but the consummation of grace ? What should I regard thy cavils , whiles I have these pledges of the Almighty ? It is not in thy power , malicious spirit , to sever those things which Gods eternall decree hath put together : Our calling ▪ and election are thus conjoyned from eternity ; All the craft and force of hell cannot divorce them : Whom he did predestinate them also he called ; and whom he called them he also justified ; and whom he justifieth them also he glorifieth ; It is true that outwardly many are called , but few chosen ; but none are inwardly called which are not also chosen : in which number is my poore soule , whereto God hath shewed mercy in singling it out of this wicked world , into the liberty of the sons of God ; For , do not I find my selfe sensibly changed from what I was ? am I not evidently freed from the bondage of those naturall corruptions , under which thou heldst mo miserably captiv'd ? Do I not hate the courses of my former disobedience ? Do I not give willing eare to the voice of the Gospel ? Do I not desire and indeavour to conforme my selfe wholly to the will of my God and Saviour ? Do I not heartily grieve for my spirituall faylings ? Do not I earnestly pray for grace to resist all thy temptations ? Do not I cordially affect the means of grace and salvation ? Do I not labour in all things to keep a good conscience before God , and men ? Are not these the infallible proofs of my calling , and the sure and certaine fruits of mine election ? Canst thou hope to perswade me , that God will bestow these favours where he loves not ? that he wil repent him of such mercies ? That he will lose the thanks and honour of so gracious proceedings ? Suggest what thou wilt ; I am more then confident , that he who hath begun this good work in me , will perform it untill the day of Jesus Christ . Do not I heare the chosen vessel tell his Thessalonians , that he knows them to be elected of God ? And upon what grounds doth he raise this assurance ? For ( saith he ) our Gospel came not to you in word only , but also in power , and in the Holy Ghost : That which can assure us of another mans election , may much more secure us of our owne : the entertainment & successe of the Gospel in our souls . Lo , that blessed word hath wrought in me a sensible abatement of my corrupt affections ; and hath produced an apparent renovation of my mind ; and hath quickned me to a new life of grace , and obedience ; this can be no work of nature ; this can be no other then the work of that Spirit , whereby I am sealed to the day of redemption ; My heart feels the power of the Gospel ; my life expresses it ; maugre all thy malice ; therefore I am elected . When the gates of hell have done their worst , none of Gods children can miscarry ; For if children , then they are heirs ; heirs of God , and joynt-heirs with Christ . Now , as many as are led by the spirit of God , they are the sons of God ; and this is the direction that I follow . There are but three guides that I can be led by ; my own will , thy suggestions , the motions of Gods spirit . For my owne will , I were no Christian if I had not learn'd to deny it , where it stands opposite to the will of my God ; as for thy suggestions , I hate and defie them ; they are onely therefore the motions of that good Spirit which I desire to follow ; and if at any time , my owne frailty have betraied me to some aberrations , my repentance hath overtaken my offence ; and in sincerity of heart , I can say with an holier man ; I have gone astray like a sheep : seek thy servant , for I do not forget thy commandements : All thy malice therefore cannot rob me of the comfort of mine adoption . It is no marvell if thou , who art all enmity , canst not abide to heare of love ; but God , who is love , hath told me ; that love is of God , and that every one that loveth is borne of God ; and that by this we know that we have passed from death to life , because we love the brethren ; now , my heart can irrefragably witnesse to me , that I love God because he is good ; infinitely good in himself , and infinitely good to me ; and that I love good men because they are his sons , my brethren ; I am therefore as surely passed from death to life , as if I had set my foot over the threshold of heaven . VIII . TEMPTATION Alas , poor man , how grosly deludest thou thy selfe ? thou talk'st of thy faith , and bearest thy selfe high upon this grace ; and think'st to doe great matters by it ; whereas the truth is , thou hast no faith , but that which thou mis-callest so , is nothing else but meer presumption . Repelled . IS it any wonder that thou should'st sclander the graces of God , who art ever ready to calumniate the giver ? No , tempter ; Canst thou challenge this faith of mine , which thou censurest , to be thine owne worke ? such it should be , if it were presumption ; Were it presumption , would'st thou oppose it ? would'st thou not foster and applaud it as thine ? The presumption is thine , who darest thus derogate from the gracious work of the Almighty ; and fasten sin upon the holy Spirit ; Mine is faith ; yet so mine , as that it is his that wrought it : There is not more difference betwixt thee , and an Angel of light , then betwixt my faith , and thy presumption : True faith ( such is mine , after all thy sclanderous suggestions ) is grounded upon sound knowledge , and that knowledge upon an infallible word ; Whereas presumption rests only upon opinion , and conceit , built upon the sands of self-love : Whence it is that the most ignorant are ever the most presumptuous ; when the knowing soule sees what dangers it is to encounter , and provides for them with an awfull resolution . True faith never comes without carefull and diligent use of meanes ; The word , sacraments , praier , meditation are but enough with their conjoyned forces to produce so divine a work ; whereas presumption comes with ease ; it costs nothing , no strife , no labour to draw forth so worthlesse and vicious a disposition ; yea rather corrupt nature is forward not only to offer it to us , but even to force it upon our admission ; and it is no small maistery to repell it . True faith struggles with infidelity ; this Iacob is wrestling with this Esau in the womb of the soule ; and , if at any time , the worse part ( through the violence of a temptation ) get the start of the better , the hand laies hold on the heel , and suffers not it selfe to be any other then insensibly prevented ; but recovers the light ere the suggestion can be fully compleated ; and at last so far prevails , that the elder shall serve the younger ; This is the victory that overcomes the world , even our faith : Whereas presumption is ever quiet and secure ; not fearing any perill ; not combating with any doubt ; pleasing it selfe in its owne ease and safety ; and in the confidence of a perpetuall prosperity can say , I shall never be moved . True faith , wheresoever it is , purifieth the heart , and will not suffer any known sin to harbour there ; and is ever attended with care , awfulnesse , love , obedience : Whereas presumption impures the soule , and works it to boldnesse , obduration , false joy , security , senslesnesse . True faith grows daily ; like the graine of mustard-seed in the Gospel , which from small beginnings arises to a tall , and large-spreading plant : presumption hath enough , and sits down contented with its own measure , applauding the happinesse of its own condition . True faith , like gold , comes out pure from the fire of Temptation ; and , like to sound friendship , is most helpfull in the greatest need ; Presumption , upon the easiest triall , vanisheth into smoak and drosse , and is never so sure to faile us as in the evill day . So then this firme affiance of mine , being grounded upon the most sure promises of the God of Truth , upon frequent use and improvement of all holy means ; after many bickerings with thy motions of unbelief ; being attended with holy and purifying dispositions of the soule ; and gathering still more strength , and growing up dayly towards a longed-for perfection ; and which , now , thy experience convinces thee , to be most present and comfortable in the hour of Temptation , is true faith , not as thou falsly suggestest , a false presumption . It is true , my unworthinesse is great , but I have to do with an infinite mercy ; so as my wretched unworthinesse doth but heighten the glory of his most mercifull pardon and acceptation . Shortly then , where there is a divine promise of free grace and mercy , a true apprehension and embracing of that promise ; a warrant and acceptance of that apprehension , a willing relyance upon that warrant , a sure knowledge and sense of that relyance , there can be no place for presumption ; This is the case betwixt God and my soule ; His word of promise , and warrant that cannot deceive me , is : He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and , He that believes in him that sent me hath everlasting life ; and shall not come into condemnation , but hath passed from death to life ; My owne heart irrefragably makes out the rest ; which is the truth of my apprehension , relyance , knowledge . Mine therefore is the faith ; the presumption in casting sclander upon the grace of Gods spirit is thine owne . IX . TEMPTATION Thou thoughtest perhaps once , that thou hadst some tokens of Gods favour ; but now , thou canst not but find that he hath utterly forsaken thee , and withdrawing himself from thee , hath given thee up into my hands , to which thy sins have justly forfaited thee . Repelled . BE not discouraged , O thou weak soule , with this malicious suggestion of the enemy : Thou art not the first , nor the holiest that hath been thus assailed ; So hard was the man after Gods owne heart driven with this Temptation ; that he cries out in the bitternesse of his soul , Will the Lord cast ( me ) off for ever ? and will he be favourable no more ? hath God forgotten to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? Is his mercy cleane gone for ever ? doth his promise faile for evermore ? Thy case was his for the sense of the desertion , why should not his case be thine for the remedy ? Mark how happily and how soon he recovers himself : And I said , This is my infirmity ; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high ; I will remember the works of the Lord ; surely I will remember the wonders of old ; I will meditate of all thy works : Lo , how wisely , and faithfully David retreats back to the sure hold of Gods formerlyexperimented mercies , and there finds a sensible reliefe : He , that when he was to encounter with the proud Giant , could before-hand arme himselfe with the proof of Gods former deliverances and victories , ( Thy servant slew both the lyon and the bear ; and this uncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them ; ) now animates himself after the temptation against the spirituall Goliah , with the like remembrance of Gods ancient mercies , and indearments to his soule ; as well knowing that , what ever we are , God cannot but be himself ; God is not as a man , that he should lie , neither the son of man , that he should repent ; Having loved his own , which were in the world , he loved them unto the end : Hast thou therefore formerly found the sure testimonies of Gods favour to thee , in the reall pledges of his holy Graces ; live thou still , whiles thou art thus besieged with temptations , upon the old store ; know , that thou hast to do with a God , that can no more change , then not be : Satan cannot be more constant to his malice then thy God is to his everlasting mercies . He may for a time be pleased to withdraw himself from thee ; but it is , that he may make thee so much more happy in his re-appearance : It is his owne word , For a small moment have I forsaken thee , but with great mercies will I gather thee . In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment ; but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee , saith the Lord thy redeemer . In the case wherein thou now art , thou canst be no meet Judge either of Gods respects to thee , or thine owne condition ; Can the aguish palate passe any true judgement upon the tast of liquors ? Can the child entertaine any apprehension of his parents favour whiles he is under the lash ? Can any man looke that the fire should give either flame or heat , whiles it lies covered with ashes ? Can any man expect fruit , or leaves from the tree in the midst of winter ? Thou art now in a fit of temptation ; thou art now smarting under the rod of correction ; thy faith lies raked up under the cold ashes of a seeming desertion ; the vegetative life of thy soul is , in this hard season of thy triall , drawne inward , and run downe to the root ; thine estate is never the lesse safe for this , though more uncomfortable : wait thou upon Gods leisure with all humble submission ; the event shall be happy ; when the distemper is once over , thou shalt returne to thy true relish of Gods mercy ; when thine heavenly father shall smile upon thee , and take thee up in his armes , thou wilt see love in his late stripes ; when those dead ashes shall be removed , and the gleeds of grace stirred up againe in thee , thou shalt yeild both light , and warmth ; when the Sun of righteousnesse shall approch to thee , and with his comfortable beams draw up the sap into the branches , thou shalt blossome and flourish ; In the meane time feare nothing ; only believe , and thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord ; Thy soule is in surer hands then thine owne , yea then of the greatest Angel in heaven ; far out of the reach of all the powers of hell ; For our life is hid with Christ in God ; Hid ; not lost , not laid open to all eyes ; but hid ; hid , where Satan cannot touch it , cannot find it ; even with Christ in the heaven of heavens . Feare not therefore , O thou feeble soule , any utter dereliction of thy God ; Thou art bought with a price : God paid too deare for thee , and is too deeply ingaged to thee , to lose thee willingly ; and for any force to be offered to the Almighty , what can men or Devils do ? And if that malignant spirit shall challenge any forfeiture ; plead thou thy full redemption : It is true ; the eternall and inviolable law hath said , Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them ; and , the soule that sinneth shall die ; Death and curse is therefore due to thee ; But thou hast paid both of these , in thy blessed redeemer ; Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law , being made a curse for us ; Where sin abounded , grace did much more abound ; that as sin hath reigned unto death , even so might grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord ; It is all one to pay thy debt in thine owne person , and by thy surety ; Thy gracious suerty hath staked it down for thee to the utmost farthing : Be confident therefore of thy safe condition ; thou art no lesse sure , then thine adversary is malicious . X. TEMPTATION Had God ever given thee any sure testimonies of his love , thou might'st perhaps pretend to some reason of comfort and confidence . But the truth is , God never loved thee ; he may have cast upon thee some common favours , such as he throwes away upon reprobates , but for the tokens of any speciall love that he bears to thee , thou never didst ; never shalt receive any from him . Repelled . THis is language well-befitting the professed make-bate betwixt God and man ; but know , O thou false tempter , that I have received sure and infallible testimonies of that speciall love , which is proper to his elect : First then , ( as I have to do with a bountiful God , who where he loves , there he inriches ; so ) I have received most precious gifts from his hands ; such as do not import a common , and ordinary beneficence , ( w ch he scatters promiscuously amongst the sons of men ) but such as carry in them a dearnesse , and singularity of divine favour : even the greatest gifts , that either he can give , or man receive ; For first he hath given me his spirit , the spirit of Adoption , whereby I can call him Father ; for the assurance whereof , The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit , that we are the children of God : Deny , if thou canst , the invaluablenesse of this heavenly gift ; and if thy malice cannot detract from the worth , but from the propriety ; yeelding it to be great , but denying it to be mine ; know , O thou envious spirit , that here is the witnesse of two spirits combined against thine ; Were the testimonies single , surely I had reason to believe my owne spirit , rather then thine , which is a spirit of errour ; but now , that the spirit of God conjoines his inerrable testimony together with my spirit , against thy single suggestion , how just cause have I to be confident of my possession of that glorious , and blessed gift ? Neither is that good spirit dead , or dumb , but vocall , and operative : it gives mee a tongue to call , God , Father ; it teacheth me to pray ; it helpeth mine infirmities , and maketh intercession for me , with groanings which cannot be uttered ; It worketh effectually in me a sensible conversion ; Even when I was dead in sins and trespasses , God , who is rich in mercy , for his great love wherewith he loved me , hath by this spirit of his quickned me together with Christ , and hath raised me up together with him : By the blessed effects therefore of this regenerating Spirit happily begun in my soule I find how rich a treasure the Father of mercies hath conveighed into my bosome . Besides , my life shows what is in my heart ; it was a gracious word , that God spake to his people of old , and holds for ever ; I will put my spirit within you , and cause you to walk in my statutes ; I will also save you from all your uncleannesses ; The spirit of God can never be severed from obedience ; If the heart be taken up with the holy Spirit , the feet must walke in Gods statutes ; & both heart and life must be freed from all wilfull uncleannesses ; I feel that God hath wrought all this in me ; from him it is , that I do sincerely desire , & indevour to make straight steps in all the ways of God ; and to avoid , and abhor all those foule corruptions of my sinfull nature ; Flesh and bloud hath not , would not , could not work this in me ; The Spirit therefore of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwels in me ; And if this be not a pledge of his dearest love , heaven cannot yeeld one . Moreover , he hath bestowed upon mee another gift , more worth then all the world ; his own son , the son of his love , the son of his nature by eternall generation ; Whom he hath not only given for me , in a generality with the rest of mankind , but hath by a speciall donation conveighed unto me , and , as it were put into my bosome ; in that he hath enabled me by a lively faith to bring him home unto my soule ; and hath thus by a particular application made him mine : so as my soule is not more mine , then he is my soules ; And having given me his son , he hath with him given me all things : If there can be greater tokens of love then these , let me want them . Besides his gifts , his carriage doth abundantly argue his love ; were there a strangenesse betweene God and my soule , I might well feare there were no other then overly respects from him towards me : but now , when I find he doth so freely and familiarly converse with his servant , and so graciously imparts himself to me ; renuing the daily testimonies of his holy presence in the frequent motions of his good spirit , answered by the returns of an humble and thankfull obedience ; here is not love onely , but intirenesse . What other is that poor measure of love , which our wretched meannesse can return unto our God , but a weak reflection of that fervent love which he bears unto us ? It is the word of Divine Wisdome , I love them that love me , and the disciple of love can tell us the due order of love , We love him , because he first loved us . The love of God therefore which is shed abroad in our hearts , by the Holy Ghost , which is given unto us , is an all-sufficient conviction of Gods tender love unto us : My heart tels me , then , that I love God truly , though weakly ; God tels me that he embraceth me with an everlasting love , which thy malice may snarle at , but can never abate . TEMPTATIONS REPELLED . The third Decade . Temptations of Allurement . III. DECADE . I. TEMPTATION Thou hast hitherto thus long given entertainment to thy sin , and no inconvenience hath ensued ; no evill hath befallen thee , thy affaires have prospered better then thy scrupulous neighbours ; why shouldst thou shake off a companion , that hath been both harmlesse , and pleasant ? Go on man , sin fearlesly ; thou shalt speed no worse then thou hast done ; Go on , and thrive in thine old course , whiles some precisely conscientious beg , and starve in their innocence . Repelled . IT is right so as wise Salomon observd of old : Because sentence against an evil worke is not executed speedily ; therfore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evill . Wicked spirit ; What a deadly fallacy is this which thou puttest upon miserable soules ? Because they have aged in their sins , therefore they must die in them : because they have lived in sin , therefore they must age in it ; because they have prospered in their sin , therefore they must live in it ; whereas all these should be strong arguments to the contrary ; There cannot be a greater proofe of Gods disfavour then for a man to prosper in wickednesse ; neither can there be a more forcible inducement to a man to forsake his sin , then this , that he hath entertain'd it : What dost thou other in this then perswade the poor sinner to despise the riches of the goodnesse and forbearance , and long suffering of God ; which should lead him to repentance ; and after his hardnesse , and impenitent heart to treasure up unto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous judgement of God ? What an horrible abuse is this of divine mercy ? That which is intended to lead us to repentance , is now urged by thee to draw us from repentance ; Should the justice of God have cut off the sinner in the flagrance of his wicked fact ; there had been no roome for his penitence , and now God gives him a faire respite for his repentance , thou turnest this into a provocation of sinning ; Let the case for the present be mine ; If sin have so far bewitcht me as to win me to dally with it ; must I therefore be wedded to it ? or if I be once wedded to it , through the importunity of Temptation , shall I be tyed to a perpetuall cohabitation with that fiend , and not free my self by a just divorce ? Because I have once yeilded to be evill , must I therefore be worse ? Because I have happily , by the mercy of my God , escaped hell in sinning , shall I wilfully run my self headlong into the pit , by continuing in sin ? No , wicked one , I know how to make better use of Gods favour , and my own miscarriages : I cannot reckon it amongst my comforts , that I prospered in evill ; Let obdured hearts blesse themselves in such advantages ; but I adore that goodnesse , that forbore me in my iniquity ; neither dare provoke it any more . Thinke not to draw me on by the lucky successe of my sin ; which thou hast wanted no indeavour to promote ; Better had it been for me , if I had fared worse in the course of my sinning ; but had I been yet outwardly more happy , do I not know that God vouchsases his showers , & his sun-shine to the fields of those , whose persons he destines to the fire ? Can I be ignorant of that , which holy Iob observed in his time , That the Tabernacles of the wicked prosper ; and they that provoke God are secure , into whose hands God bringeth abundantly ; That they spend their days in wealth , and in a moment go downe to the grave ; and ( as the Psalmist seconds him ) There are no bands in their death ; but their strength is firme ; They are not in trouble like other men , therefore pride compasseth them about as achaine ; And let these jolly men brave it out in the glorious pompe of their unjust greatnesse ; The same eyes that noted their exaltation , have also observed their downefall . They are exalted for a little while ( saith Job ) but they are gone , and brought low ; they are taken out of the way , as all others ; and cut off , as the tops of the ears of corne . And in his answer to Zophar ; Where are the dwelling places of the wicked ? Have ye not asked them that go by the way , and do ye not know their tokens ? That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction ; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath ; The eyes of the wicked ( even those scornfull and contemptuous eyes , which they have cast upon Gods poor despised ones ) shall faile , and they shall not escape ; and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost . How false an inference then is this , whereby 〈◊〉 goest about to delude ●y soule ; Thou hast hitherto prospered in thy wickedness , therefore thou shalt prosper in it still , and ever ; To morrow shall be as yesterday , and more abundant ; As if the just God had not set a period to iniquity ? As if he had not said to the most insolent sinner , as to the raging Sea , Here shalt thou stay thy proud waves : How many rich Epicures have with Crassus , sup't in Apollo , and broken their fast with Beelzebub , the prince of Devils ? How many have lien downe to sleep out their furfeit , and have waked in hell ? Were my times in thy hand , thou wouldst not suffer me long to enjoy my sin ; and forbeare the seizure of my soule ; but now they are in the hands of a righteous God , who is jealous of his owne glory , he will be sure not to over-pass those hours , which he hath set for thy torment , or my account . Shortly therefore , I will withdraw my foot from every evil way ; and walk holily with my God ; however I speed in the world ; Let me with the conscientious men beg , or starve in my innocence ; rather then thrive in my wickednesse and get hell to boot . II. TEMPTATION Sin still ; thou shall repent soon enough , when thou canst sin no more ; Thine old age , and death-bed are fit seasons for those sad thoughts ; It will go hard if thou maist not , at the last , have a mouthfull of breath left thee , to cry God mercy ; And that is no sooner askt , then had ; Thou hast to do with a God of mercies ; with whom no time is too late , no measure too sleight to be accepted . Repelled . OF all the blessed Attributes of God , whereby he is willing to make himself known unto men , there is none by which he more delights to be set forth , then that of mercy ; When therefore he would proclaime his stile to Moses , this is the title which he most insists upon : The Lord , The Lord God ; mercifull and gracious , long suffering , and abundant in goodnesse , and truth ; keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity , and transgression , and sin ; And all his holy Heralds the Prophets have still been carefull to blazon him thus to the world ; Neither is there any of those divine Attributes , that is so much abused by men , as this which is most beneficiall to mankind ; For the wisdome of God every man professes to adore it ; for the power of God every man magnifies it ; for the justice of God , every man trembles at it ; but , for the mercy , and long-sufferance of God , how apt are men and devils to wrong it by a sinfull mis-application ? Wicked tempter , how ready art thou to mis-improve Gods patience to the encouragement of my sin ; and to perswade me therefore to offend him , because he is good ; and to continue in sin , because grace abounds ; Thou bidst me sin still ; God forbids me upon paine of death to sin at all ; whether should I listen to ? God cals me to a speedy repentance , thou perswadest me to defer it ; whether counsell should I hold more safe ? Surely there cannot be but danger in the delay of it ; in the speed there can be nothing but a comfortable hope of acceptation : It is not possible for me to repent too soone ; too late I may : To repent for my sin , when I can sinne no more , what would it be other then to be sory that I can no more sin ? And what thank is it to me , that I would , and am disabled to offend ? Thou telst me that mine age , and death-bed are meet seasons for my repentance ; As if time and Grace were in my power to command ; How know I whether I shall live till age ? yea till to morrow ? yea till the next hour ? Doe not I see how fickle my life is ? And shall I with the foolish Virgins , delay the buying of my oyle , till the doores be shut ? But , let me live ; Have I repentance in a string , that I may pull it to me when I list ? Is it not the great gift of that good Spirit , which breatheth when , and where it pleaseth ? It is now offered to me in this time of Grace ; if I now refuse it , perhaps I may seek it , with teares , in vaine : I know the gates of hell stand alwaies wide open to receive all commers , not so the gates of heaven ; they are shut upon the impenitent , and never opened but in the seasons of mercy ; The porches of Bethesda were full of cripples expecting cure ; those waters were not alwaies sanative ; if when the Angel descends and moves the water , we take not our first turne , we may wait too long : But of all other , that season whereon thou pitchest , my death-bed , is most unseasonable for this work , most serviceable for thy purpose ; How many thousand souls hast thou deluded with this plausible , but deadly , suggestion ? For then , alas , how is the whole man taken up with the sense of paine , with grapling with the disease , with answering the condoling of friends , with disposing the remainder of our estate , with repelling ( then most importunate ) temptations , with encountring the horrours and pangs of an imminent dissolution ; And what roome is there then for a serious task of repentance ? No , wicked one , I see thy drift ; thou wouldst faine perswade me to do like some idle wanton servants , who play , and talk out their candle-light , & then go darklings to bed ; I hate the motion , and do gladly embrace this happy opportunity , which God holds forth to me , of my present conversion . Thou tell'st me how hard it would be , if I should not have one mouth-full of breath , at the last , to implore mercy ; I tell thee of many a one that hath not had so much ; neither hath it been hard , but just , that those who have had so many and earnest solicitations from a mercifull God , and have given a deafe eare to them ; should not at the last have a tongue to aske that mercy , which they have so often refused . But let me have wind enough left to redouble the name of mercy ; am I sure upon so short warning to obtaine it ? How many are there that shall say , Lord , Lord ; and yet shall be answer'd , with Depart from me , I know you not ? Do I not hear that God , whom vaine men frame all of mercy , say , even of his Israel ; I will not pity , nor spare , nor have mercy , but destroy them ? There is a time for judgement , as well as a time for mercy ; neither of these may encroach upon other ; as judgement may not be allowed to seize upon the soule , during the season of mercy , so neither may mercy put forth it selfe to rescue the soule in an execution of judgement ; both must have their due turnes ; let me sue therefore for grace , ere the time of grace be over-passed ; Heaven is as a strong castle , whereto there is but one way of entrance ; the draw-bridge is let down all the day ; all that while the passage is open ; let me stay till night ; the bridge is hoysed up , the way precluded ; I may now stand without , and call long enough for an hopelesse admittance . It shall be my care to get within those gates , ere my Sun be set ; whiles the willing neglecters of mercy shal find hell open , heaven inaccessible . III. TEMPTATION Thou art one of Gods chosen ; Now God sees no sin in his elect ; none therefore in thee ; neither maist thou then take notice of any sin in thy selfe ; or needest any repentance for thy sin . Repelled . DEceitfull tempter ; now thou wouldst faine flatter me into hell ; and make Gods favour a motive of my damnation ; I doubt not but I am , through Gods mercy , one of his chosen ; his free grace in Christ my Saviour , hath put upon me this honour ; neither will I fear to challenge any of the happy priviledges of my Election ; But that this should be one of the speciall prerogatives of Grace , that God should see no sin in me , I hate to hear ; That God imputes no sin to his elect , is a divine truth ; but that he sees no sin in his Elect , is a conceit hatch't in hell : For , tell me , thou Antinomian spirit , if God see no sin in his Elect , is the reason on the behalfe of God , or of the sin ? Either for that there is no sin at all to be seen , or for that though there be sin in them , yet God sees it not ; If the former ; it must be either in relation to the person of the sinner , or to the act and nature of the sin : Either , that he cannot do that act which is formally sinne , or , that though he do such an act , yet in him it is no sin . If the latter ; it must be either for the defect of his omniscience , or upon a willing connivence ; In each of these there is grosse errour , in some of them blasphemy : For first , what can be more evident then that the holiest of Gods elect upon earth fall ( and that not infrequently ) into sin ? Who can say , I have made my heart clean , I am pure from my sin ? was the just challenge of wise Salomon ; and his father before him said no lesse , There is none that doeth good , no not one ; And , elswhere , Who can understand his errours ? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults : We all ( saith the Prophet Esay ) putting himself into the number , have like sheep gone astray ; we have turned every one to his owne waies : And wherefore were those legall expiations of old by the bloud of their sacrifices , but for the acknowledged sins both of Priests , and people ? Perswade us if thou canst , that our election exempts us from being men : for certainly , whiles we are men we cannot but be sinners : So sure is that Parenthesis of Salomon , There is no man that sinneth not , as that , If we say we have no sin , we both deceive our selves , and make God a lier . What then ? That which in it self is sin , is it not sin in the Elect ? Doth evill turne good as it falls from their person ? where did the holy God infuse such vertue into any creature ? Surely , so deadly is the infection of sin , that it makes the person evill ; but that the holinesse of the person should make the sin lesse evill , is an hellish monster of opinion ; Yea so far is it from that ; as that the holinesse of the person addes to the haynousnesse of the sin ; The adultery had not been so odious , if a David had not committed it ; nor the abjuration of Christ so grievous , if it had not fallen from him that said , Though all men , yet not I : Sin is sin even in an Angel ; and the worse for the eminence of the actor : For what is sin but the transgression of the law in whomsoever ? whersoever therefore Transgression is ; there is guilt ; And such the best of all Gods Saints have acknowledged & lamented in themselves ; Wo is me , saith the Prophet Esay , for I am undone , because I am a man of unclean lips : The evill that I would not doe , that I doe , saith the chosen vessel ; Yea in many things , saith St. James , we offend all . It is true , that as the beloved Disciple hath taught us , He that is borne of God sinneth not ; Not that he may not fall into the same act of sin with the most carnall man , but that he sins not in the same manner ; The one sins with all his heart , with the full sway of his will , the other not without a kind of renitency : The one makes a trade of his sin ; the other steps onely aside through the vehemence of a Temptation ; The one sins with an high hand , the other out of meer infirmity ; The one walks on securely and resolutely , as obfirmed in his wickednesse , the other is smitten with a seasonable remorse for his offence . The one delights and prides himselfe in his sin ; the other , as he sinned bashfully , so he hates himself for sinning ; The one grows up daily to a greater height of iniquity ; the other improves his sin to the bettering of his soule ; But this difference of sin , as it makes sin unmeasurably sinfull in the worst men ; so it doth not quite anull it in the holiest ; It is their sin still , though it raigne not in them , though it kill them not . Whiles then there cannot but be sin in the Elect , is it possible that God should not see it there ? Is there any thing in heaven , or earth , or hell that can be hid from his all-seeing eyes ? where should this sin lurk , that he should not espy it ? Do not the secrets of all hearts lie open before him ? Are not his eyes a flame of fire ? Is it not expresly noted , as an aggravation of evill ; Iudah did evill in the sight of the Lord ; And , Our transgressions ( faith Isaiah ) are multiplied before thee : It is out of his infinite holinesse , that he cannot abide to behold sin ; but it is out of his absolute omniscience , that there is no sin which he beholds not ; and out of his infinite justice , that he beholds no sin which he hates not . Is it then for that sin hath no being , as that which is onely a failing , and privation of that rectitude and integrity which should be in us , and our actions , without any positive entity in it selfe ? upon this ground God should see no sin at all ; no not in the wickedest man upon earth ; and , whereas wicked men do nothing but sin , it should follow that God takes no notice of most of the actions that are done in the world ; whereof the very thought were blasphemy . Since then it cannot bee out of defect of knowledge , that God sees not the sinnes of his elect ; is it out of a favourable connivence that he is willing not to see , what he sees ? surely , if the meaning be , that God sees not the sinnes of the penitent with a revengefull eye ; that out of a mercifull indulgence , he will not prosecute the sins whereof we have repented , with due vengeance , but passes them by , as if they had not been ; we do so gladly yeeld to this truth , that we can never blesse God enough for this wonderfull mercy to poore sinners ; it is his gracious word , which we lay redy hold upon ; I , even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sinnes . But if the meaning be , that God beares with sin , because theirs ; that he so winkes at it as that he neither sees nor detests it , as it falls from so deare actors ; it is no other , then a blasphemous charge of injustice upon the holy one of Israel ; Your iniquities , faith Isaiah , speaking of Gods chosen people , have separated between you and your God ; and your sinnes have hid his face from you , that he will not hear ; who was dearer to God then the man after his own heart ; yet when he had given way to those foule sinnes of adultery and murder ; Nathan tells him from God ; Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house , because thou hast despised me , and hast taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife ; Thus saith the Lord , Behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine owne house &c. How full and clear is that complaint of Moses the man of God ? We are consumed by thine anger , and by thy wrath are we troubled ; Thou hast set our iniquities before thee , our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance ; And Ieremy to the same purpose ; We have transgressed and have rebelled , thou hast not pardoned ; Thou hast covered with anger , and persecuted us , thou hast slaine , thou hast not pityed us : Thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud , that our prayer should not passe thorough : Doubtlesse then God so sees sin in his elect : that he both more notes and hates sin more in his dearest children then in any other . Upon this impious supposition of Gods not seeing sin in his chosen , wouldst thou raise that hellish suggestion , that a man must see no sin in himselfe ; no repentance for sin : Then which , what wider gappe can be opened to a licentious stupidity ? For , that a man should commit sinne , as Lot did his incest , not knowing that hee doth the fact , what is it but to bereave him of his senses ? To commit that fact which he may not know to be sin , what is it but to bereave him of reason ; not to be sorry for the sin he hath commited , what is it but to bereave him of grace ? How contrary is this to the mind and practise of al Gods Saints ? Holy Iob could say ; How many are mine iniquities and sinnes ; make me to know my transgression and my sinne ? and at last , when God had wrought accordingly upon his heart ; I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes ; Penitent David could say , I acknowledg my transgression , and my sin is ever before me ; and elsewhere , I will declare mine iniquity , and be sorry for my sin ; and Solomons suppliant that would hope for audience in heaven , must know the plague of his own heart . carry on therefore thy deluded clients in a willing ignorance of their finnes , and a secure regardlesnesse of their repentance ; for me , I will ransack my heart for my secret sinnes ; and finde no peace in my soule till it bee truly sensible of my owne repentance , and Gods remission . IV. TEMPTATION Thou maist live as thou listest ; Thy destiny is irreversible ; If thou be predestined to life , thy sins cannot damne thee ; for Gods election remaineth certaine . If thou be ordained to damnation , all thy good endevours cannot save thee ; Please thy selfe on earth , thou canst not alter what is done in heaven . Repelled . THe suggestion is pernicious ; and such , as that Satans quiver hath not many shafts more deadly ; for where ever it enters , it renders a man carelesly desperate , and utterly regardlesse either of good , or evill : bereaving him at once both of grace , and wit. The story tells us of a great Prince tainted with this poyson ; whom his wise Physician happily cured ; for being called to the sicke bed of him , whom he knew thus dangerously resolved ; in stead of medicine , he administers to his patient this just conviction : Sir , you are conscious of your stiffe opinion concerning predestination ; why doe you send to mee for the cure of your sicknesse ? Either you are predestinated to recover and live , or else you are in Gods decree appointed to dye : If you be ordained to live and recover , you shall live , though you take noe helps of physick from me ; but if to dye , all my art and meanes cannot save you . The convinced Prince saw , and felt his errour , and recanted it : as well perceiving , how absurd , and unreasonable it is , in whatsoever decree of either temporall or spiritual good , to sever the means from the end ; being both equally determined ; and the one in way to the other : The comparison is cleare and irrefragable ; Gods decree is equally both certaine , and secret , for bodily health , and life eternall ; The meanes appointed , are food and medicine for the one , and for the other , repentance , fait● , obedience : In the use of these we may live , we cannot but dye in their neglect : were it any other then madnesse in mee to relye upon a presupposed decree , willingly forbearing the while the means whereby it is brought about ? To say , If I shall live I shall live , though I eat not ; If I shall dye , though I eate I shall not live ; therefore I will not eate , but cast my self upon Gods providence , whether to dye or live : In doing thus , what am I other then a selfe murderer ? It is a prevailing policy of the Devill so to work by his temptations , upon the heart of man , that in temporall things he shall trust to the meanes without regard to the providence of the God that gives them ; In spirituall , he should cast himself upon the providence of a God , without respect to the meanes , whereby they are effected ; whereas , if both these goe not together , we lose either God , or our selves , or both . It is true , that if God had peremptorily declared his absolute will concerning the state or event of any creature , we might not indevour , or hope to alter his decree ; If God have said to a Moses ; Goe up to the Mount and dye there , it is not for that obedient servant of God , to say ; Yet I will lay up some years provision , if perchance I may yet live ; Although , even thus , in the minatory declarations of Gods purpose ( because we know not what conditions may be secretly intended ) we may use what meanes we may for a diversion : The Ninivites heard that expresse word from Ionah [ Yet fourty daies and Nineveh shall be destroyed ] and though they beleeved the Prophet , yet they betooke themselves to an universall humiliation for the prevention of the judgement : David heard from the mouth of Nathan ; The child that is born unto thee shall surely dye ; Yet he besought God , and fasted , and lay all night upon the earth , and could say , Who can tell whether God will bee gracious to mee that the child may live ? good Hezekiah was sick unto death , and heares from Isaiah ; Set thy house in order , for thou shalt dye and not live ; yet he turnes his face to the wall , and praies ; and makes use of his bunch of figges ; and recovers ; But , where the counsell of God is altogether secret , without the least glimpse of revelation , for a man to passe a peremptory doome upon himselfe , and either thereupon wilfully to neglect the knowne meanes of his good , or to run willingly upō those courses which will necessarily work his destruction , it is the highest degree of madnesse , that can be incident into a reasonable creature . The father of mercies hath appointed meanes of the salvation of mankind , which lye open to them , if they would not be wanting to themselves ; but especially to us , who are within the bosome of his Church , he hath held forth saving helpes in abundance . What warnings , what reproofes , what exhortations , what invitations , what intreaties , what importunities , hath he forborn for our conversion ? what menaces , what afflictions , what judgments hath he not made use of , for the prevention of our damnation ? Can there be now any man so desperately mad , as to shut heaven gates against himselfe , which the mercifull God leaves open for him ? or , as to breake open the gates of hell , and rush violently into the pit of destruction , which God had latched against him ? Thou sayst , If I be predestin'd to life , my sinnes cannot damne me . Man ; thou beginnest at the wrong end ; in that thou takest thy first rise at Gods eternall counsails , and then judgest doubtfully of thine owne waies ; It is not for thee to beginne first at heaven , and then to descend to earth ; this course is presumptuous and damnable ; What are those secret and closed bookes of Gods eternall decree , and preordination , unto thee ? They are onely for the eyes of him that wrote them ; The Lord knoweth them that are his ; Look if thou wilt upon the outer seale of those Divine secrets ; and , read , Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity . Thy way lies from earth to heaven ; The revealed wil of God , by which onely wee are to be regulated , is ; Repent , beleeve , obey , and thou shalt be saved ; live and dye in thy sinnes , impenitent , unbeleeving , thou shalt be damned ; According to this rule frame thou thy courses , and resolutions ; and if thou canst be so great an enemy to thine own soule , as determinately to contemne the meanes of salvation , and to tread wilfully in the paths of death , who can say other , but thou art faire for hell ? But if thou shalt carefully use and improve those good meanes which God hath ordained for thy conversion , and shalt thereupon find that true grace is wrought in thy soule ; that thou abhorrest al evill waies , that thou dost truly beleeve in the Lord Iesus , and heartily purposest , and indevourest to live holily , and conscionably in this present world , thou maiest now as assuredly know thy name written in heaven , as if thou hadst read it in those eternal characters of Gods secret counsell : Plainely , it is not for thee to say , I am predestinate to life , therefore thus I shall doe , and , thus I shall speed ; but contrarily , thus hath God wrought in me , therefore I am predestinate ; Let me doe well , it cannot but be well with mee ; Glory , and honour , and peace to every man that worketh good ; Let me doe my utmost diligence to make my calling and election sure ; I am safe , and shall be happy . But if thou hast been mis-carried to lewd courses , and hast lived as without God in the world ; whiles thou dost so , thy case is fearefull : but who allowed thee to ●it judg upon thine own soule ? and to passe a peremptory doome of necessary damnation upon thy selfe ? Are not the meanes of grace ( Gods blessed ordinances ) stil held forth unto thee ? Doth not God still gratiously invite thee to repentance ? Doth not thy Saviour stand ready with his armes spread abroad to receive thee into his bosome ? And canst thou be so desperately , and presumptuously mercilesse to thy selfe , as to say , I shall be damned , therefore I will sinne ? Thou canst not be so wicked but there may be a possibility of thy reclamation ; whiles God gives thee respite , there may be hope ; Be not thou so injurious to thy selfe as to usurpe the office both of God , and the Devill ; of God , in passing a finall judgment upon thy selfe ; of the Devill , in drawing thy selfe into damnation . Returne therefore , O sinner , and live , break off thy sinnes by repentance , and be saved ; But if otherwise , know , that Gods decree doth neither necessitate thy sin , nor thy damnation ; Thou maist thank thy selfe for both ; Thy perdition is of thy selfe , O Israel . V. TEMPTATION Why wilt thou be singular amongst and above thy neighbours ; to draw needlesse censures upon thy self ? Be wise , and do as the most . Be not so over-squemish as not to dispense with thy conscience in some small matters ; Lend a lye to a friend , swallow an oath for feare , be drunke sometimes for good fellowship , falsify thy word for an advantage , serve the time , frame thy selfe to all companies ; thus thou shalt be both warme , and safe , and kindly respected . Repelled . PLausible tempter , what care wouldest thou seeme to take of my ease , and reputation , that , in the mean time , thou mightst run away with my soule ? Thou perswadest mee not to be singular amongst my neighbours ; it shall not be my fault if I bee so : If my neighbours bee good , and vertuous , I am with , and for them ; let mee be hissed at , to goe alone ; but if otherwise , let me rather go upright alone , then halt with company : Thou tellst mee of censures ; they are spent in vaine that would disharten mee from good , or draw me into evill ; I am too deep rooted in my resolutions of good , then to be turnd up by every slight wind , I know who it is that hath said , Blessed are ye when men shall revile you , and persecute you , and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my names sake . Let men take leave to talk their pleasure ; in what I know I do wel , I am censure-proofe . Thou bidst me bee wise , and doe as the most ; These two cannot agree together ; Not to follow the most , but the best , is true wisdome ; My Saviour hath told me , that the many goe in the broadway , which leadeth to destruction ; and it is the charge of God , Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill ; whiles I follow the guidance of my God , I walk confidently , as knowing , I cannot goe amisse ; as for others , let them look to their own feet , they shall be no guides of mine . Thou bidst me dispense with my conscience in small matters ; I have learnt to call nothing small , that may offend the Majesty of the God of heaven ; Dispensations must onely proceed from a greater power ; Onely God is greater then my conscience ; where he dispenseth not , it were a vaine presumption for me to dispense with my selfe : And what are those small matters wherein thou solicitest my dispensation ? To lend a ly to a friend ; why dost thou not perswade mee to lend him my soule ? Yea to give it unto thee for him ? It is a sure word of the wise man ; The mouth that lyeth , slayeth the soule ; How vehement a charge hath the God of truth layd upon me , to avoid this sinne , which thou , the father of lies , wouldst draw me unto ? What marvell is it , if each speak for his own ? He who is truth it selfe , and loveth truth in the inward parts , justly calles for it in the tongue ; Laying aside lying ( saith the Spirit of God ) speak every man truth with his neighbour ; Thou , who art a lying Spirit , wouldst be willing to advance thine own brood under the faire pretence offriendship ; But what ? shall I to gratifie a friend , make God mine enemy ? shall I to rescue a friend from danger , bring destruction upon my selfe ? Thou shalt destroy them that speake leasings , saith the Psalmist : Without shall be every one that loveth , or maketh lies . If therefore my true attestation may availe my friend , my tongue is his , but if he must be supported by falshood ; my tongue is neither his , nor mine ; but is his that made it . To swallow an oath for fear ? No , tempter ; I can let down none such morsels ; an oath is too sacred , & too awfull a thing for me to put over out of any outward respects against my conscience ? If I sweare , the Oath is not mine , it is Gods ; and the revenge will be his , whose the offence is . It is a charge to be trembled at ; Yee shall not sweare by my name falsly ; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God , I am the Lord ; And if the word of charge be so dreadfull , what terrour shall we find in the word of judgment ? Lo , God sweares too ; and because there is no greater to sweare by , he swears by himself ; As I live , surely mine oath that he hath despised , and my Covenant which he hath broken , even it will I recompence upon his owne head : It was one of the words that were delivered in fire and smoak and thunder and lightning , in Sinai ; The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine . I dare not therefore feare any thing so much as the displeasure of the Almighty ; and ( to dye for ) will neither take an unlawfull oath , nor violate a just one . As for that sociable excesse , whereto thou temptest me , how ever the commonness of the vice may have seemed to abate of the reputation of hainousnes , in the opinion of others , yet to me it representeth it so much more hatefull ; as an universall contagion is more grievous then a local : I cannot puchase the name of good fellowship with the losse of my reason , or with the price of a curse ; Dayly experience makes good that word of Solomon , that Wine is a mocker , robbing a man of himselfe , and leaving a beast in his roome : And what woes do I heare denounced against those that rise up earely in the morning that they may follow strong drink , that continue till night til the wine inflame them : If any man thinke he may pride himselfe in a strong brain , and a vigorous body ; Woe to them that are mighty to drink wine , & men of strength to mingle strong drinkes : Let the Iovialists of the world drink wine in bowles , and feast themselves without feare , let me never joyne my selfe with that fellowship , where God is banisht from the companie . Wouldst thou perswade me to falsifie my word for an advantage ? what advantage can be so great as the conscience of truth , and fidelity ? That man is for Gods tabernacle , that sweareth to his owne hurt , and changeth not ; Let me rather lose honestly , then gaine by falshood and perfidiousnesse . Thou biddest me serve the time ; So I will doe ; whiles the time serves not thee ; but if thou shalt have so corrupted the time , that the whole world is set in wickednesse , I will serve my God in opposing it : gladly will I serve the time in all good offices , that may tend to rectifie it , but to serve it in a way of flattery , I hate and scorn . I shall willingly frame my selfe to all companies ; not for a partnership in their vice , but for their reclamation from evil , or incouragement in good ; The chosen vessell hath by his example taught me this charitable , and holy pliablenesse ; Though I be free from all men , yet have I made my self a servant unto all , that I might gain the more . To the Jewes I became as a Jew , that I might gaine the Jewes ; to them that are under the Law , as under the Law , that I might gaine them that are under the Law ; To them that are without Law , as without Law , ( being not without Law to God , but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law ; To the weake I became weake that I might gaine the weake ; I am made all things to all men that I might by al means save some : My onely scope shall be spirituall gaine ; for this will I ( like some good Merchant ) trafique with all nations , with all persons . But for carnall respects , to put my selfe ( like the first matter ) into all formes , to be demure with the strictly-severe , to be debaucht with the drunkard , with the Atheist profane , with the Bigot superstitious , what were this but to give away my soule to every one , save to the God that ownes it ; and whiles I would be all , to be nothing ; and to professe an affront to him that hath charged me be not conformed to this world . Shortly , let me be despicable , and starve , and perish in my innocent integrity , rather then be warme and safe , and honoured upon so evill conditions . VI. TEMPTATION It is but for a while that thou hast to live ; and when thou art gone , all the world is gone with thee ; Improve thy life to the best contentment ; Take thy pleasure whiles thou maist . Repelled . Even this was the very no●e of thine old Epicurean clients , Let us eat and drink , for to morrow we shall die , I acknowledg the same dart and the same hand that flings it ; a dart dipped in that deadly poison that causeth the man to dye laughing ; a dart that pierceth as deeply into the sensuall heart , as it easily retorted by the regenerate . These wilde inferences of sensuality are for those , that know no heaven , no hell : but to me that know this world to be nothing but a thorow-fare to eternity either way , they abhorre , not from grace onely , but from reason it selfe ; In the intuition of this immortality , what wise man would not rather say , my life is short , therefore it must bee holy ? I shall not live long , let me live well ; so let mee live for a while , that I may live for ever ? These have been still the thoughts of gracious hearts , Moses the man of God , after he hath computed the short periods of our age , and confined it to fourescore yeares , ( so soon is it cut off , and we fly away ) inferres with the same breath , So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts to wisdome ; As implying that this holy Arithmeticke should be an introduction to Divinity ; that the search of heavenly wisdome should be the true use of our short life ; and the sweet singer of Israel after he hath said , Behold , thou hast made my daies as a span long , mine age is nothing to thee ; findes cause , to look up from earth to heaven , And now , Lord , what wait I for ? surely my hope is even in thee : He that desired to know the measure of his life , findes it but a span ; and recompences the shortnesse of his continuance , with hopes everlasting , as the tender mercy of our God pities our frailtie , remembring that we are but flesh , a wind that passeth away , and cometh not againe ; So our frailty supports it selfe with the meditation of his blessed eternity ; My daies ( saith the Psalmist ) are like a shadow that declineth , and I am withered like grasse ; But thou , O Lord , shalt endure for ever , and thy remembrance to all generations . As therefore every man walketh in a vain shadow , in respect of his transitorinesse , so the Good man in respect of his holy conversation , can say , I will walke before the Lord in the Land of the living ; and knowes himselfe made for better ends then vaine pleasure ; I shall not dye but live , and declare the works of the Lord It is for them who have their portion in this life ; who have made their belly their God , and the world their heaven , to place their felicity in these carnall delights ; Gods secret ones injoy their higher contentments ; Thy loving kindnesse is better then life , saith the Prophet ; Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart , more then ( they had ) in the time that their corne and their wine increased . Miserable worldlings , who walke in the vanitie of their mindes , being alienated from the life of God , through the ignorance that is in them , because of the blindnesse of their hearts ; who being past feeling , have given themselves over to lasciviousnesse , to work all uncleanenesse with greedinesse : What wonder is it , if as their life is meerely brutish , so the happinesse that they affect is no other then bestiall ; and if they snatch at those vanishing shadowes of pleasure , which a poore momentany life can afford them : according to the improvement of our best faculties , so is our felicity ; The best facultie of brute creatures is their sense , they therefore seeke their happinesse in the delectation of their senses : Mans best facultie is reason ; he places his happinesse therefore in the delights of the mind , in the perfection of knowledg , and height of speculation ; The Christians best sacultie is faith ; his felieity therefore consists in those things which are not perceptible by sense , not fadomeable by reason , but apprehensible by his faith , which is the evidence of things not seen , either by the eye of sense or reason : and as his felicity , so is his life , spirituall . To mee to live is Christ , saith he that was rapt into the third heaven ; I live , yet not I , but Christ liveth in mee , Our life is hid with Christ in God , and , When Christ which is our life , shall appeare , then shall we also appeare with him in glory . Lo then , when the worldling dies , his life dies with him , and , to him , the world is gone with both ; but when I die to nature , I have a life that lives still ; a life that cannot die ; a life that both is , and makes mee glorious : It is not for mee therefore to hunt after these unsatisfying , and momentany pleasures , which perish in their use , and shut up in repentance ; but to lay up those sure comforts , which shall never have an end , but after this transitory life shall accompany mee to eternity . Tell not mee therefore of taking my full scope to the pleasures of sinne ; I know there is an hell , and I looke for an heaven ; upon this short moment of my life depends everlastingnesse . Let me therfore be carefull to bestow this short life , as that I may be sure to avoid eternity of torments , and to lay up for eternity of blessednesse . VII . TEMPTATION It is for common wits to walk in the plain road of opinions . If thou wouldst be eminent amongst men , leave the beaten track , and tread in new paths of thine owne : Neither let it content thee to guide thy steps by the dim lanterns of the Antient ; he is no body that hath not new lights either to hold out , or follow . Repelled . VVIcked tempter ; I know thou wouldst have me go any waies , save good ; were those new waies , right , thou wouldst never perswade me to walk in them ; now I have just reason to mis-doubt and shun those paths which thou invitest me unto ; both as private , and as new : It is enough that they are my owne ; for canst thou think to bring me to believe my selfe wiser then the whole Church of God ? Who am I , that I should over-know not the present world of men only , but the eminent Saints , and learned Doctors of all former ages ? Why should I not rather suspect my owne judgement , then oppose theirs ? When the Church in that heavenly marriage-song inquires of the great shepheard of our souls ; Tell me , O thou whom my soule loveth , where thou feedest , where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noone ; for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions ? she receives answer ; If thou know not ( O thou fairest among women ) go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock , and feed thy kids beside the shepheards tents . Lo , the tracks of the flock , and the tents of the shepheards are my direction to find my Saviour ; if I turn aside , I misse him , and lose my selfe . It is more then enough that those waies are new : for truth is eternall ; and that is therefore most true , that comes nearest to eternity ; as contrarily , novelty is a brand of falshood , and errour : Thus saith the Lord ; Stand ye in the ways , and see ; and ask for the old paths , where is the good way , and walk therein , and ye shall find rest for your soules : Far be it from me then , that I should be guilty of that contempt , whereof the Prophet , with the same breath , accuseth his Jewes ; But they said , We will not walk therein . It is a fearfull word that I heare from the mouth of the same Prophet ; Because my people have forgotten me ; and have caused them to stumble in their waies from the antient paths , in a way not cast up : I will scatter them as with an East wind before the enemy ; I will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity ; Wo is me for these heavy times , wherein it is not the least part of our sin , nor the least cause of our miseries , that we have stumbled from the ancient pathes , into the untrodden waies of schisme and errour , and find not the face , but the back of our God turned to us , in this day of our calamity ; O God , thou art just ; we cannot complain that have made our selves miserable . It is true , where our forefathers have manifestly started aside like a broken bow ; and having corrupted their wayes , have burnt incense to vanity , we must be so far from making their precedent a warrant for our imitation , as that we hear God say to us , Be ye not like unto your fathers ; Walk not in the statutes of your forefathers , neither observe their judgements ; For those that turne aside to crooked waies , the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity ; But where wee see them walke with a right foot , in the holy waies of God , and continue stedfastly in the faith which was once delivered to the Saints , we have reason to be followers of them , who through faith and patience inherit the promises ; that walking in their waies , we may attaine to their end , the salvation of our soules . Let me see those steps wherein the holy Prophets have trod ; those wherein the blessed Apostles have traced the Prophets , those wherein the Primitive Fathers and Martyrs have followed the Apostles ; those wherein the godly and learned Doctors of the succeeding ages have followed those primitive Fathers ; and if I follow not them , let me wander , and perish ; It is for true men to walke in the Kings high-way , theeves & suspected persons crosse over through by-paths , and make way where they find none . Thou tell'st me of new lights ; I ask whence they rise : I know who it was that said , I am the light of the world , he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse , but shall have the light of life ; and I know that light was the true light ; of whom holy David spake long before , Thou art my lampe , O Lord ; and the Lord wil lighten my darkenesse ; and in thy light shall we see light ; Those that doe truly hold forth this light shall be my guides , and I shall follow them with all confidence ; and shall find the path of the just , as the shining light , that shineth more and more unto the perfect day ; As for any new light , that should now break forth , and shine upon our waies ; certainely it is but darknesse ; such a light as Bildad prophesied of long agoe ; The light of the wicked shall be put out , and the sparke of his fire shall not shine ; The light shall be darknesse in his Tabernacle , and his Candle shall be put out with him ; So as the seduced followers of these new lights may have just cause to take up that complaint of the Prophet , We wait for light , but behold obscurity , for brightnesse , but we walk in darknesse ; we grope for the wall like the blinde , wee stumble at noone day as in the night . Shortly then , that light which the father of lights hath held forth in his will revealed in his word , as it hath been interpreted by his holy Church in all ages , shal be my guide , till I shall see as I am seen ; as for any other lights , they are but as those wandring fires that appear in damp marishes , which lead the travailer into a ditch . VIII . TEMPTATION Pretend religion , and doe any thing : what face is so foule as that Maske will not cleanly cover ? seem holy , and be what thou wilt . Repelled . YEa , there thou wouldest have mee ; this is that deadly dart , wherewith thou hast slain millions of soules ; Hence it is that the Mahumetan Saints may commit publique filthinesse with thanks ; Hence , that corrupt Christians bury such abominable crimes in their cowls Hence , that false professors shroude so much villanies under the shelter of piety ; Hence , that the world abounds with so many sheep without , wolves within ; faire tombes full of inward rottennesse ; filthy dunghills covered over with snow : rich herse-clothes hiding ill-sented carkasses ; broken potsheards covered with silver drosse ; Hence , that the adversaries of Iudah offer to Zerobabel their aid in building the Temple ; The harlot hath her peace offerings ; Absolom hath his vow to pay ; Herod will worship the infant ; Iudas hath a kisse for his Master ; Simon Magus will be a Convert ; Ananias and Sapphira will part with all ; The Angell of the church of Sardis will pretend to live ; The beast hath hornes like a Lamb , but speakes like a dragon ; in a word , the wickedest of men will counterfeit Saints , and false saints are very Devills : for so much more eminent as the vertue is , which they would seeme to put on , so much the more odious is the simulation both to God and man : now the most eminent of all vertues is holinesse : whereby we both come nearest unto God , and most resemble him : of all creatures therefore out of hell , there is none so loathsome to God as the hypocrites , & that upon a double provocation ; both for doing of evil , & for doing evil under a colour of good ; the face that the wicked man sets upon his sin , is worse then the sin it self : Bring no more vain oblations , ( saith the Lord ) incense is an abomination to mee ; the new moones and Sabbaths , the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with ; it is iniquity ; even the solemne meeting ; Your new Moones , and your appointed feasts my soule hateth , they are a trouble to me , I am weary to be are them . How faine wouldst thou therefore draw mee into a double condemnation both for being evill , and seeming good , both w ch are an abomination to the Lord ; Doe I not hear him say , For as much as this people draw neare me with their mouth , and with their lips doe honour mee , but have removed their hearts from me ; therefore behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous work amongst this people , even a marvellous work and a wonder , for the wisdome of the wise shall perish ; Doe I not heare him say by his prophet Jeremiah ; They will deceive every one his neghbour and will not speake the truth : Their tongue is an arrow shot out , it speaketh deceit ; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth , but in heart he layeth his wait ; shall I not visit them for these things , saith the Lord : shall not my soule be avenged of such a nation as this ? Indeed this is the way to beguile the eyes of men like our selves ; for who would mistrust a mortifyed face ? an eye and hand lift up to heaven ? a tongue that speakes holy things ? but when we have to doe with a searcher of hearts , what madnesse is it to think there can be any wisdome or understanding , or counsail against the Lord ? Woe bee to them therefore that seeke deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord ; and their workes are in the darke , and they say , Who seeth us ; and who knoweth us ? Woe bee to the rebellious children , saith the Lord , that take counsell , but not of mee , that cover with a covering , but not of my spirit , that they may add sin to sin . Shall I then cleanse the out-side of the cup , whiles I am within full of extortion , & excesse ? shall I fast for strife and debate , and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ? shall I under pretence of long prayers devoure widowes houses ? shal I put on thy forme , and transfigure my selfe into an Angell of light ? shall not the all-seeing eye of the righteous God find me out in my damnable simulation ? Hath not he said , & wil make it good , Though thou wash thee with nitre , and take thee much sope , yet thine iniquity is marked before mee ? Hath not my Saviour , who shall be our Judge , said , Therefore thou shalt receive the greater damnation ? Can there be any heavier doom that can fall from that awfull mouth , then , Receive thy portion with hypocrites ? Let those therefore that are ambitious of an higher roome in hell , maintaine a forme of Godlinesse , and deny the power of it : face wickednesse with piety : stalke under religion for the aimes of policy : juggle with God and the world , case a devill with a saint , and row towards hell whiles they looke heaven-ward . For me , All the while my breath is in me , & the spirit which God gives mee , is in my nostrills , I shall walke in mine uprightnesse : All false waies , and false semblances shal my soule utterly abhorre : that so at the parting , my rejoiceing may be the testimony of my conscience , that in simplicity , and godly sincerity , not with fleshly wisdome , but by the grace of God I have had my conversation in the world . IX . TEMPTATION Why shouldst thou lose any thing of thy height ? Thou art not made of common mold ; neither art thou as others ; If thou knowst thy self , thou art more holy , more wise , better gifted , more inlightned then thy neighbours ; Justly therefore maist thou over-look the vulgar of Christians , with pity , contempt , censure ; and beare thy selfe as too good for ordinary conversation , go apart , and avoid the contagion of common breath . Repelled . IF pride were thy ruine , wicked spirit , how faine wouldst thou make it mine also ? This was thy first killing suggestion to our first parents in paradise , soone after thine owne fall , ( as if it had been lately before , thy owne case ) Ye shall be as Gods , knowing good and evill : That which thou foundest ▪ so deadly to thy selfe , thou art enviously willing to feoffe upon man , that if through thy temptation , Pride may compasse him about as a chaine , he may beare thee company in those everlasting chaines wherein thou art reserved under darknesse to the judgement of the great day . Thou well knowest that the ready way to make me odious unto God , is to make me proud of my selfe ; Pride and arrogancy , and the evill way doth he hate ; The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty , saith the Prophet : He hath scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts , saith the blessed Virgin ; God resisteth the proud , and giveth grace to the humble , saith the Apostle ; The Lord will destroy the house of the proud , saith Salomon ; and his father David before him , Thine eyes are upon the haughty that thou maist bring them downe ; Downe , indeed , even to the bottome of that pit of perdition . Make me but proud therefore , & I am thine ; Sure I am , God will not owne me ; and if I could be in heaven with this sin , would cast me downe headlong into hell . Thou bidst me not to lose any thing of my height ; Alas , ( poore wretched dwarfe that I am ! ) what height have I ? if I have but grace enough to know and bewaile my owne misery , and nothingnesse , it is the great mercy of my God ; Who maketh mee to differ from another ? and what have I that I have not received ? and if I have received it , why should I glory in it as my owne ? Whatsoever thou perswadest me , let me rather lose of my height , then adde to my stature , and affect too high a pitch ; That humility is rewarded with honour , this pride with ruine ; It is the word of truth himselfe , Whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted ; The way then to lose my whole height , yea my being , is to be lifted up , in , and above my selfe ; for though I should build my nest as high as the Eagle ; or advance a throne among the stars , yet how soone shall he cast me downe into the dust ; yea , ( without my repentance ) into the nethermost hell ? Thou telst me that ( which the Pharisee said of himselfe ) I am not as others ; True , for I can say with the chosen vessell , that I am the chiefe of sinners : Thou wouldst bring me into an opinion that I am more holy , and more wise then my neighbours ; I am a stranger to other mens graces , I am acquainted with my owne wants ; Yea I so well know my own sinfulness and folly that I hang downe my head in a just shame for both ; I know that he who was holier then I , could say , I know that in me ( that is , in my flesh ) dwelleth no good thing ; and he that was wiser then I , could say , Surely I am more brutish then any man , and have not the understanding of a man ; I neither learned wisdome , nor have the knowledge of the holy : All the holinesse that I have attained unto is to see and lament my defects of holinesse ; and all my wisdome is to descry and complaine of my own ignorance and foolishnesse . Am I better gifted then another ? Thou art an ill judge of either , who enviest the gifts of both ; But if I be so , they are gifts still ; and such gifts as the donour hath not absolutely given away from himselfe to me , but hath given ( or lent them rather ) to me , for an improvement to his owne use ; which I have no more reason to be proud of , then the honest factor , of his masters stock ; received by him , not for possession , but for trafique . Am I more inlightned then others ? the more do I discerne my owne darknesse ; and the more do I find cause to be humbled under the sense of it ; But if the greater light which thou saist is in me , were not of an humane imagination , but of divine irradiation , what more reason should I have to be proud of it , then that in this more temperate clime I have more sun shine then those of Lapland and Finland , and the rest of those more northerne nations ; so much the more reason have I to be thankfull ; none to be proud . Why should I therefore over-looke the meanest of my fellow Christians ; who may perhaps have more interest in God then my selfe ; for it is not our knowledge that so much indeares us to God , as our affections ; perhaps he that knows lesse may love more ; and if he had been blessed with my means , would have known more ; Neither is it the distribution of the Talents that argues favour , but the grace to imploy them to the benefit of the giver : if he that received the one Talent had gained another , he had received more thanks then he that upon the receit of five Talents had gained one . The Spirit breathes where it listeth ; and there may lie secret graces in the bosome of those , who passe for common Christians , that may find greater acceptation in heaven , then those whose profession makes a fairer ostentation of holinesse . I can pity therefore those that are ignorant , and apparently gracelesse ; but for those that professe both to know , and to love Christ ; whiles their lives deny not the power of godlinesse , I dare not spend upon them either my contempt , or censure , lest whiles I judge wrongfully , I be justly judged : much lesse dare I separate my self from their communion as contagious ; Thou knowest how little it were to thine advantage , that I should be perswaded to depart from the Tents of the notoriously wicked ; and to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse ; as too well understanding that evill conversation corrupts good manners ; and that a participation in sin drawes on a partnership in judgement ; Neither know I whether thou shouldst gaine more by my joyning with evill society , or my separating from good ; infection follows upon the one , distraction upon the other : Those then which cast off their communion with Christ and his Church , whether in doctrine or practise , I shall avoid ( as the plague ) soone , and far : But those who truly professe a reall conjunction , with that head , and this body : Into their secret let my soule come , and unto their assembly let mine honour be united : But if , where I find weaknesse of grace , and involuntary failings of obedience , I shall say , Stand by thy selfe , come not neer me , for I am holier then thou ; how can I make other account then that this pride shall be a smoke in the nostrils of the Almighty , a fire that burneth all day ; and that he will recompence it into my bosome ? Shortly , I know none so fit to depart from , as from my selfe , my owne pride , self love , and the rest of my inbred corruptions ; and am so far from over-looking others , that I know none worse then my selfe . X. TEMPTATION However the zeale of your scrupulous Preachers is wont to make the worst of every thing ; and to damne the least slip to no lesse then hell : Yet there are certaine favour able temperaments of circumstances , which may ( if not excuse yet ) extenuate a fault , such as age , complexion , custome , profit , importunity , necessity , which are justly pleadable at the barre both of God , and the conscience , and are sufficient to rebate the edge of divine severity . Repelled . VVIcked tempter , I know there is nothing upon earth , that so much either troubles thee , or impairs thy kingdome of darknesse , as the zeale of conscionable Preachers ; those , who lift up their voice like a trumpet , and shew Gods people their transgression , and the house of Jacob their sin ; this is it that rescues millions of souls from the hand of hell , and gives thee so many foyles in thy spirituall assaults ; This godly and faithful zeal represents mens sins to them as they are , and , by sins , the danger of their damnation ; which thy malicious subtilty would faine blanch over , and palliate to their destruction ; But when thou hast all done , it is not in their power to make sin worse then it is , or in thine to make it better : As for those favourable temperaments which thou mentionest , they are meere Pandarismes of wickednesse ; faire visors of deformity : For to cast a glance upon each of them ; Age is not a more common plea , then unjust : The young man pretends it for his wanton , and inordinate lust : The old , for his gripplenesse ; techinesse ; loquacity : All wrongfully , and not without foule abuse . Youth is taught by thee to call for a swing : and to make vigour , and heate of blood , a priviledge for a wild licentiousnesse ; for which it can have no claime but from a charter sealed in hell : I am sure that God who gives this marrow to his bones , and brawne to his armes , and strength to his sinewes , and vivacity to his spirits , lookes for another improvement ; Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth , saith Solomon ; And his father before him ; Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way ? by taking heed thereto according to thy word : Lo , the young mans waies are foule with lusts and distempered passions , and they must be cleansed ; and the way to cleanse them is attendance ( not of his owne vaine pleasures , but ) of the holy ordinances of his maker : Thou wouldst have him run loose like the wild Asse in the desert , God tells him , It is good for a man to beare the yoake in his youth ; even the yoke of the divine precepts , the stooping whereunto is the best , & truest of al freedoms , so as he may be able to say with the best Courtier of the wickedest King ; I thy servant feare the Lord from my youth ; The aberrations from which holy lawes of God are so far from finding an excuse from the prime of our years , as that holy Iob cries out of them in the bitternesse of his soule , Thou hast made mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth : and as David vehemently deprecates Gods anger for them ; Remember not , Lord , the sins of my youth ; so Zophar the Naamathite notes it for an especiall brand of Gods judgement upon the wicked man , that his bones are full of the sins of his youth ; and God declares it as an especiall mercy to his people ; Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth ; The more head-strong therefore my youth is , the more straite shall I curbe it , and hold it in : and the more vigorous it is , so much the fitter it is to be consecrated to that God who is most worthy to be served with the best of his own . As for old age , it hath I grant its humours and infirmities ; but rather for our humiliation , then for our excuse . It is not more common then absurd and unreasonable , that when we are necessarily leaving the world , we should be most fond in holding it ; when wee are ceasing to have any use of riches , then , to endeavour most eagerly to get them ; when we should bee laying up treasure in heaven , to be treasuring up wrath for our selves , and baggs , for we know not whom : To be unwilling to spend what we cannot keep ; and to be mad on getting what we have not the wit or grace to spend : If then thou canst perswade any man to bee so gracelesse , as to make his vicious disposition an apology for wickednesse , let him plead the faults of his age for the excuse of his avarice . As for morosity of nature , and garrulity of tongue , they are not the imperfections of the age , but of the persons ; There are meek spirits under gray haires , and wrinkled skinnes ; There are old men , who , ( as that wise heathen said of old ) can keepe silence , even at a feast ; He hath ill spent his age that hath not attained to so good an hand over himselfe , as in some meet measure to moderate both his speech and passion . If some complexions both incline us more , and crave indulgence to some sinnes , more then other , ( the sanguine to lust , the cholerick to rage , &c. ) wherfore serves grace but to correct them ? If we must be over-ruled by nature , what doe we professing Christianity ? Neither humours , nor stars can necessitate us to evill ; whiles thou therefore pretendest my naturall constitution , I tell thee of my spirituall regeneration ; the power whereof if it have not mortified my evill and corrupt affections , I am not ( what I professe to be ) a Christian . The strongest plea for the mitigation of sinne , is Custome ; the power whereof is wont to be esteemed so great , as that it hath seemed to alter the quality of the fact , and of sin , to make no sin : Hence the holy Patriarchs admitted many consorts into their marriage-bed , without the conscience of offending ; which , if it had not been for the mediation of Custome , had beene justly esteemed no better then criminous : But however where is no contrary injunction , Custome may so far usurp , as to take upon it to be no lesse then a law it selfe ; Yet , where there is a just regulation of law , the plea of Custome is so quite out of countenance , as that it is strongly retorted against it selfe ; neither is there any more powerfull reason for the abolition of an ill use , then that is a custome ; so much the more need therefore to be opposed and reformed . Hence was that vehement charge of God to his Israel : After the doings of the land of Egypt , wherein ye dwelt , shall ye not do ; and after the doings of the land of Canaan , whither I bring you , shall ye not do ; neither shall ye walk after their ordinances . Ye shall keep mine Ordinance , that ye commit not any of these abominable customes , which were committed before you ; and that ye defile not your selves therein , I am the Lord your God. It is too true that the bonds of Custome are so strong and close , that they are not easily loosed ; in so much as Custome puts on the face of another nature ; Can the Ethiopian change his skin , or the Leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good , that are accustomed to doe evill ; How stifly did the men of Judah , ( after all the dreadfull threatnings of the Prophet ) hold to their Idolatrous customes , which they had learn't in Egypt ; Wee will burne incense to the Queen of heaven , and poure out drink-offerings to her , as wee have done ; we , and our fathers , our Kings , and our Princes , in the Cities of Judah ▪ and in the streets of Jerusalem ; It is with ill customes , as with diseases ; which if they grow inveterate , are so much the harder to be cured ; but shall I therefore hug my malady , because I have long had it ? because it will not part away with ease ? Shall I bid a theefe welcome , because he had wont to rob me ? Shortly then , so far is an ill custome from extenuating my sin , as that it aggravates it ; Neither shall I offend the lesse , because I offend with more ; but rather double it , both , as in my act , and , as in my imitation ; in following others amisse , and in helping to make up an ill precedent for others following of me . As for the profit that may accrew by sinning ; let those carnall hearts value it , that have made the world their God ; To me , the greatest gain this way is losse : Might I have that house-full of gold and silver that Balaam talke of ; or all those kingdomes of the earth , and the glory of them which thou shewedst to my Saviour , what are all these to the price of a sin , when they meet with a man that hath learnt from the mouth of Christ ; What profit shall it be to a man , if he shall gaine the whole world , and lose his owne soule ? Importunity is wont to be a prevalent suitor ; How many have been dragg'd to hell by the force of others solicitations , who never else meant to have trod in those pathes of death ? What marvell is it , if that which moved the unjust judge to do right , against the bent of his will , be able to draw the weak sinner awry ? But if in these earthly angariations , one mile ( according to our Saviours counsel ) may bring on another ; yet in spirituall evill ways , no compulsion can prevaile upon a resolved spirit . It is not the change of stations , nor the building of twice seven altars , nor the sacrificing of seven bullocks and seven rams that can win a true Prophet of God to curse Israel ; The Christian heart is fixed upon sure grounds of his own , never to be removed ; If therefore his father sue to him ; if his mother weep , and wring , and kneele ; and beseech him by the womb that bore him , and the brests that gave him suck ; if his crying children cling about his knees , and crave his yeildance to some advantageous evill , or his declining some bitter sufferings for the cause of Christ , he can shake them off with an holy neglect ; and say , What do you weeping and breaking my heart ? for I am ready not to be bound only , but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus ; None of these things move me , neither count I my life deare unto my self , so that I may finish my course with joy ; And if any soule be so weak , as to be led rather by the earnest motions of others , then by his owne setled determinations , he shall find no other ease before the Tribunal of heaven , then our first Parents did in shifting the guilt of their sin , the man to the woman , the woman to the serpent ; In the meane while that word shall ever stand with me inviolable , My son , if sinners entise thee , consent thou not . Lastly , what can be the necessity which may either induce to sin ; or excuse for sinning ? What can the world do to make me say I must doe evill ? Losse , restraint , exile , paine , death are the worst , that either malice can do , or patience suffer ; These may put me hard to the question , but , when all is done , they must leave me free , either to act , or indure ; I need not therefore sin , since there is a remedy against sin , suffering . It is true that we are in the hands of a most gracious and indulgent God , who considers what we are made of , pities our infirmities , and knows to put a difference betwixt wilfull rebellion and weak revolt ; his mercy can distinguish of offenders ; but his justice hath said , Without shall be the fearfull ; Finally then howsoever these circumstantiall temperaments may receive pardon , after the fact , for the penitent at the mercy-seat of heaven ; yet none of them can be pleadable at the bar of divine justice ; And if any sinner shall hearten himselfe to offend out of the hopes and confidence of these favorable mitigations , the comfort that I can give him , is , that he may howle in hell , with thee , for his presumption . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A45313-e400 M r Hannibal Gammon of Cornwall . Notes for div A45313-e560 Temptations of Impiety . Temptations of Discouragement . Temptations of Allurement . Notes for div A45313-e1750 2 Cor. 13. 4. Philip. 2. 6. Joh. 10. 17 , 18. Matth. 4. 3 , 6. Mar. 1. 24. Mar. 5. 7. Mat. 8. 20. a Joh. 3. 13 , 18. b Joh. 18. c Mat. 28. 29. Act. 2. 35. d 10. 48. e Psal . 22. 27. f Psal . 72. 11 , 15. g Rev. 5. 11 , 12. & 4. 9 , 11. h Philip. 2. 6. i Joh. 10. 30. 1 Joh. 5. 7. k Joh. 16. 15. & 17. 19. l ●sa . 45. 12. Psal . 33. 6. & 102. 26. m Psal . 45. 6 , 7. n Esa . 9. 6. o Revel . 1. 17. p Micah 5. 2. q Joh 17. 5. r Joh. 1. 1. ſ Ephes . 4. 10. t Joh. 3. 13. u Rev. 1. 8. x Esa . 9. 6. y Esa . 40. 3. & 45. 21 , 22. z Esa . 45. 13. Esa . 6. 3. a Rom. 9. 5. b 1 Joh. 5. 20. c Tit. 2. 13. d 1 Cor. 2. 8. Joh. 20. 28. Colos . 2. 15. Esa . 53. 8 , 9. Esa 53. 12. Luke 24. 25 , 26. Luke 23. 35 , 36. Mat. 27. 51. Mat. 27. 54. Rom. 1. 4. Gal. 6. 14. Dan. 2. 11. Rom. 7. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Mat. 7. 24 , 25. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Mat. 11. 27. Mat. 11. 25. Rom. 16. 25 , 26. 2 Cor. 10. 4 , 5. Esa . 55. 8 , 9. Luk. 23. 42. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Luc. 16. 22. Revel . 6. 9. Revel . 14. 1 , 3. Revel . 7. 14. 1. 16. 17. Revel . 14 13. Revel . 1. 18. Mat. 10. 28. Rom. 2. 9. Ro m. 2 ▪ 8. Wisd . 2. 1. 2 Thess . 1 8 , 9. 1 Cor. 15. 36 , 37 , 38. 2 Kings 13. 21. Mat. 27. 52 , 53. 1 Cor. 15. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 57. 1 Thes . 4. 14. Mat. 22. 32. 1 Cor. 15. 19. Job 19. 23 24 , 25 , 26. 1 Cor. 15. 53 , 54 , 55 , 56. 57. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Act. 1. 11. Mat. 8. 29. Acts 17. 31. Jude 14. 15. Mat. 25. 31. Heb. 11. 37. 2 Thesl . 1. 6 , 7. Iude 6. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 2 Pet. 3. 10. 1 Thes . 4. 16. 2 Pet. 3. 8 , 9. 2 Thess . 2. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Gen. 19 ▪ 22. Gen. 19. 22. 24. Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 27. 26. Mat. 5. 19. Iam. 2. 10. Iob 10. 14. 1 Sam. 2. 25. Psal . 130. 3 , 4. Esa . 43. 25. Mat. 12. 36. Rom. 2. 15. Mat. 15. 14. Esa . 59. 2. Eph. 2. 3. Eph. 5. 6. Rom. 2. 5. Iude 6. Rom. 5 : 12. Rom. 5. 18 : Heb. 2. 14 , 15. Rom. 7 : 14. Rom. 6 : 16. 1 Tim : 2 : 5. Tit. 2. 14 : Heb : 9. 12. Eph. 1. 7 : 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Eph. 5. 2 : Gal. 3 : 13 : Col. 1. 13 : Col. 1. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 24 : Mat. 6. 12 : 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Gal. 3 : 13 : 2 Cor. 5 : 21. Rom. 5. 1. Rev. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 2. 20 : Revel . 1. Numb : 23. 10. Josh . 23. 14. 1 King. 8. 56. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Jer. 18. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Psal . 89. 33 , 34. Psal . 77. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. v. 11. Psal . 116. 10 , 11 , v. 10 , 12 , 16. Mat. 7. 13. Act. 10. 35. 1 Joh. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 12. Revel . 21. 12. Philip. 3. 8 , 10. Notes for div A45313-e6780 Esa . 1. 18. Psal . 145. 8 , 9 , 1 Tim. 1. 15. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Proverb . 28 : 13. 2 Cor. 7. 10. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Luke 23. 41. Numb . 14. 22. Mat. 18. 22. Prov. 28. 13. Luke 15. 14 , 15 , &c. Eccles . 9. 2. Heb. 12. 6. Heb. 12. 8. Esa . 53. 4 , 5 , 6. Luk. 9. 23. Mat. 16. 24. Mar. 8. 34. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Heb. 12. 11. Rom. 8. 18. Jam. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Rom. 5. 3. Act. 14. 22. 2 Cor. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 1 Cor. 11. 32. Psal . 119. 71 , 75. Psal . 94. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. Act. 17. 28. Mat. 10. 29. v. 30. 1 Sam. 2. 7 , v. 8. 2 Kings 18. 25. 2 Kings 19. 27 , 28. Job 34. 21. Psal . 33. 13 , 14. Psal . 104. 24 , 25 , 27. Psal . 104. 21. Luk. 12. 24 , 27. Job 12. 9 , 10. Luk. 16. 25. Psalm . 37. 35 , 36. Prov. 1. 32. Dan. 5. 26. Heb. 11. 37. Revel . 12. 4 , 13 , v. 15. Act. 7. 52. Gen. 50. 20. Joh. 16. 33. Mat. 24. 9. Luk. 21. 12 , 13. Joh. 15. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 12 , 19. Psal . 79. 2 , 3 , 4. Rev. 16. 6. 1 Cor. 4. 9. Rev. 3. 21. Mat. 5. 10 , 11 , 12. Mat. 5. 44. Jam. 1. 12. Mat. 5. 18. Ephes . 1. 13 , 14. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Rom. 8. 30. Philip. 1. 6. 1 Thessal . 1. 4 , 5. Ephes . 4. 30. Rom. 8. 17. Rom. 8. 14. Psal . 119. 176. 1 Joh. 4. 8. 4. 7. 1 Joh. 3. 14. 1 Joh. 5. 4. Psal . 30. 6. Act. 15. 9. Joh. 3. 36. Joh. 5. 24. Psal . 77. 7. 9. 8. 77. v. 10 , 11 , 12. 1 Sam. 17. 36. Num. 23. 19. Joh. 13. 1. Esay 54. 7 , 8. Coloss . 3. Galat. 3. 10. Galat. 3. 13. Rom. 5. 20 , 21. 1 Joh. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 15 , 16. Rom. 8. 26. Ephes . 2. 1 , 4 , 5 , 6. Ezek. 36. 27 , 29. 1 Joh. 5. 3. Rom. 8. 11. Prov. 8. 17. 1 Joh. 4. 19. Rom. 5. 5. Notes for div A45313-e11440 Eccles . 8. 11. Rom. 2. 4 , 5. Job 12. 6. Job 21. 13. Psal . 73. 4. Iob 24. 24. Job 11. 20. Exod. 34. 6. Num. 14. 18. Psal . 103. 8. Psal . 145. 8 , 9. Exod. 20. 6. Psal . 86. 15. Nehem. 9. 30 , 31. Lament . 3. 31. Jona . 4. 2. Mic. 7. 18. Psal . 72. 13. Jerem. 13. 14. Prov. 20. 9. Psal . 14. 3. Rom. 3. 12. Ps . 19. 12. Esa . 53. 6. Levit. 4. 2. 13. 22. Num. 15. 24. 2 Kings 8. 46. 1 Joh. 1. 8 , 10. Jam. 3. 2. Esa . 6. 5. Rom. 7. 19. Jam. 3. 2. 1 Joh. 5 ▪ 18. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Rev. 1. 14. 1 King. 14. 22. Esa . 43. 25. Esa . 59. 2. 2 Sam. 12. 10 , 11. Psal . 90. 78. Lam. 3. 42 , 43. 44. Iob 13. 13. Iob 42. 6. Ps . 51. 3. Ps . 38. 18. 1 Kings 8. 38. 2 Sam. 12. 14. ▪ verse 22. 2 Kings 20. 1 , 2. verse 7. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rom. 2. 10. 2 Pet. 1 10. Mat. 5. 11. Mat. 7. 13. Exod. 23 2. Wis . 1. 11. Ioh. 8. Lev. 19. 11. Col. 3. 9. Eph. 4. 25. Psal . 5. 6. Rev. 22. 15. Exod. 22. 8. Eccl. 16. 59. Lev. 19. 12. Ezek. 17. 19. Exod. 20. 7. Prov. 20. 1. Esa . 5. 11. Es . 5. 22. Amos 6. 6. Psal . 15. 4. 1 Ioh. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 15 32. Psal . 90. 10. Psal . 90. 10. 12. Psal . 39. 4. 5. 7. Ps . 78. 39. Ps . 102. 11 , 12. Ps . 16. 9. Ps . 118. 17. Ps . 117. 14. Ps . 63. 3. Ps . 4. 7. Eph. 4. 17 18. 19. Heb. 11. 1. Phil. 1. 21. Gal. 2. 20. Col. 2. 3 , 4. Cant. 1. 7. 8. Jer. 6. 16. Jer. 18. 15. 17. Gen. 6. 12. Jer. 18. 15. 2 Chro. 30. 7. Ezek. 20. 18. Ps . 125. 5. Gal. 2. 14. Jude 3. Heb. 6. 12. Joh. 8. 12. Joh. 12. 46. Joh. 1. 8 , 9. 2 Sam. 22 29. Ps . 36. 10. Prov. 4. 18. Iob 22. 28. Luc. 11. 35. Iob. 18. 5. 6. Esay . 59. 9. 10. Math. 7. 15. Mat. 23. 27. Pro. 26. 23. Ezr. 4. 2. Pro. 7. 14. Mat. 2. 8. Mat. 26. 49 Acts 8. 13. Rev. 3. 2. Rev. 13. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Lev. 11. 44. 19. 2. Isa . 1. 13. Es . 1. 13. 14. Isa . 29. 13. 14. Ier. 9. 5. 8. 9. Isa . 29. 15. Isa . 80. 1. Mat. 23. 25. Esay 58. 4. Mat. 23. 14. 2 Cor. 1. 14. Ier. 2. ●2 . Mat. 23. 14. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Iob 27. 3. Psal . 26. 11 2 Cor. 1. 12. Gen. 3. Psal . 73. 6. Jude 6. Prov. 8. 13. Esa . 2. 11 , 12. Luke 1. 51. Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Prov. 15. 25. 2 Sam. 22. 28. Esa . 14. 12. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Mat. 23. 13 , 14. Luc. 14. 11. 18. 14. Rom. 7. 18. Prov. 30. 2 , 3. Num. 16. 20 , 21. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Ephes . 5. 11. Num. 16. 26. Esay 65. 5. 6. Esa . 58. 1. Ecl. 12. 1. Psal . 119. 9. Lam. 3. 27. Obadiah in 1 Kings 18. 12. Iob 13. 26. Psal . 25. 7. Iob 20. 11. Esa . 54. 2. Lev. 18. 3. v. 30. Jer. 13. 23. Jer. 44. 17. Num. 24. 13. Mat. 16. 26. Mark. 8. 36. Mat 5. 41. Num. 23. 14. & 29. Act. 21. 13. Act. 20. 24. Prov. 1. 10.